


Above one's bend

by booksandanime



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: 1900s, Alternate Universe- Wild West, Bill doesn't know what to do with Dipper, Bill is an outlaw, But I'm not yet sure, Dipper doesn't know what to do with Bill, Dipper is very magical, Everyone is magical, I had to write this, I'm Sorry, M/M, Mabel doesn't know what what to do with both of them, Oregon - Freeform, Please stick with some BillDip for now, There might be some mabifica in future chapters, With historic facts, With varying degrees
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-04-26 18:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5014828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksandanime/pseuds/booksandanime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 1900, in Gravity Falls, Oregon.<br/>17 year old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are living a normal life in a magical and progressive town in the Wild West. The people know how to do magic, with varying degrees of levels and success. The town is interesting enough, but even if it wasn't, no one can leave. And Dipper's ok with that, when he isn't having fantasies about growing up and travelling the world, sometimes with his family.<br/>Until someone bursts through the barrier, and is absolutely stubborn about staying. Trouble is, he's apparently an outlaw, and he's got his sights set on Dipper, for some reason.<br/>And Dipper's not quite sure how he feels about that. </p>
<p>As new enemies start to appear, Dipper realizes that he may be able to trust notorious Bill Cipher. After all, he hasn't shown an interest in betraying them. Yet.</p>
<p>And that's good enough for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hold on to the golden key

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Sapphiresterre for listening to all of my ideas, and telling me why they could, or could not, work. She's my amazing beta, but I wasn't able to send this part to her, because I think she's handling a lot of fics right now and She is an amazing person, go check her out. =]  
> (She has an A03 account here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphiresterre/pseuds/Sapphiresterre) (And she has a tumblr account here: http://sapphiresterreart.tumblr.com/)
> 
> This is my first Gravity Falls Cowboy AU, and I'm not sure how good this will be, so here. Feel free to point out any mistakes that I made. (OuO)//

It was a humid day in Gravity Falls, Oregon.   
  
  
  
  
The sun's rays (or what was visible from the hazy cloud cover), was beating down on the workers relentlessly, matched only by the town's residents in attitude. Everyone was used to working in extreme conditions. This could be attributed to the people's resiliency, though magic was also a factor in this.  
  
  
  
  
The town had a long history of magic, dating way back before 1540, the year the soon to be famous spanish conquistador, named Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, embarked on an expedition into the north of Colonized Mexico, which was unexplored territory. His goal, it was rumored, was to find the Seven Cities of Gold. The journey lasted more than 2 years, during which he traveled through most of Southwest America, and even as far north as Kansas. While he and his party were the first to document  the geography and indigenous people of various parts of the West, they never did find the Seven Cities of Gold, and as many famous and capable people, with magical capabilities or not, none so far has been able to find it. Throughout the years, fewer people had tried, and while not all of the people came back, there were a few who did, but with varying degrees of insanity.   
Being the town's resident scientist, McGuckett had gone back after an unsuccessful party, and he usually traveled back and forth, telling crazy stories to anyone who would listen, mostly in the town's saloon.  
  
  
  
  
The saloon was a frequented place, where lavish ladies, posh gentlemen, not-so-elegant fur trappers, soldiers, and poor stricken people who sported threadbare clothes all had something in common: The wish to hear a bit of gossip, to spread it yourself, or to get a drink. Sometimes all three.   


 

  
Dipper Pines stared wistfully at the building from the front porch of the family ranch. At 17 years old, was one year away from being officially allowed to enter it. He did admit that while the saloon was an interesting place, that wasn't exactly why he was so eager to be able to be of legal age to enter. It had something more to do with pride. With showing his Great uncle Stan, that, he was, beyond all doubt, a man.  
  
  
  
  
A hand slapped his back. "Oof!" Dipper said, his voice cracking near the end.  
  
  
  
  
His twin sister, Mabel, giggled, coming out onto the porch to stand beside him. "Bet you were thinking about entering the saloon again."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper reddened. "It's an... interesting place."  _Lame.  
  
  
  
  
_ "Interesting, pff! You just want to prove stuff to Grunkle Stan. Like how you're so  _old,_ and  _mature,_ and how you can enter a saloon without blushing so hard whenever someone so much as looks at you-" Mabel started.  


  
  
"-like you don't need an excuse to flirt with all the people there." Dipper said, rolling his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel stuck her tongue out at him.  _So childish._ Dipper thought. And since he was also a child, he did the same.  
  
  
  
  
This was how Grunkle Stan found them a few minutes later, with their tongues stuck out at each other, and their arms crossed over their chests in identical poses.   
  
  
  
  
"I don't even want to know what this is about, but hey, while both of you are here, why don't you go and run some errands for me? I've got a couple of things I need to get." He said, giving Dipper a list of things to get.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel moved closer to him, and Dipper moved the paper in between them, so that they could both stare at it.   
  
  
  
  
1\. 12 pairs of stun guns  
2\. ~~4,  7,~~ 10  pairs of handcuffs  
3\. 1 magical encyclopedia  
4\. Carbon  
5\. A bag of corn chips  
6\. A horse  
7\. 15 pairs of two-way mirrors  
8\. 15 pairs of one-way mirrors  
9\. 4 crystal balls  
10\. 7 dull knives  
11\. 7 sharp knives  
  
  
  
  
"Wow, Grunkle Stan, what's up with this? Planning a party?" Mabel asked, staring almost giddily at item number 6.  
  
  
  
  
"Grunkle Stan, do we have enough money for all of this?" Dipper asked, staring incredulously at him.   
  
  
  
  
"Oh kids, always doubting your elders! Of course we do!" Grunkle Stan said, crossing his arms.   
  
  


 

Dippper stared at him. "Really. The carbon, horses, stun guns, and magical encyclopedia won't be expensive? The encyclopedia alone will cost quite a bit."

 

 

"Mabel, can you hear your brother here? Already talking back like he hasn't gotten harder stuff than these. Unless, you want your twin sister to do it?" Stan asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Come on, Dip-Dot, this will be fun!" Mabel urged him, grinning.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper hesitated, looking between Mabel's eager face, and his grunkle's face, which was currently feigning disinterest. Dipper knew, though, that if he really didn't want to do it, Stan wouldn't push him, and he'd do it himself. Or, he'd ask Mabel. And DIpper wouldn't let his twin sister go alone.

  
  
  
"Sure. We can do it." Dipper said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel's grin grew wider. "Attaboy, Dip-Dot! Now come on, adventure and  conning people awaits!"   
  
  
  
  
Grunkle Stan laughed, and ruffled Mabel's hair affectionately. "Good girl." Then, he turned to Dipper, and said, "Be careful with my supplies," which meant that he was telling Dipper to be careful.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper nodded. "Alright." He adjusted his cap, walked down the steps, and waited as Mabel jumped down them, landing beside him. He turned to look at Grunkle Stan. "Sure you'll be ok with the ranch? What if tourists come?"  
  
  
  
  
"Relax kid, your old man can handle a couple of nosy tourists." Stan said, winking.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper nodded once more, then left, with Mabel skipping along beside him.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   #                                      #                                 #  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
Gravity Falls was peculiar, because it was, back in the 1500's, an old fashioned town. By 1600, the Spanish had begun the colonization of West America, and it was still an old fashioned town. Except somewhere between 1600-1800, the British, French, and Russians began their own attempts at colonizing the southern parts of America, and by 1800, the town, while still old fashioned, had definitely... changed.   
  
  
  
  
The town's residents had woken up one day, gone about their daily business, and, with varying degrees of success, found that they could do magic. Some could suddenly speed the growth of crops, some could bring things to life just by thinking about it, some could levitate things, and so on. Blacksmiths found that instead of producing the measly 234 metallic products each day, that number had increased to an astounding 400-600 pieces a day. Women suddenly had courage to speak up, and to start the stupefying ability to 'multi-task.' They could cook, grow the crops, and clean wounds all at once. Doctors suddenly had the answer to sicknesses, and created new and improved medicine.   
  
  
  
  
Soon, the town progressed faster than anyone could have imagine. Trains were invented years before schedule, railways covered most of Oregon, banks had grown bigger, paper bills were still being disputed as to it's value, and people felt brave. It was 1805, Lewis and Clark had caught their first sight of the Pacific Ocean, and Gravity Falls, Oregon had changed. Of course, some people could only wonder if it was for the better, as guns had become even more dangerous, and people had soon discovered that magic was a tricky thing. The type of magic varied from people to people, and not everyone had the same level of magic. Some could light candles without a problem, while others could go days without never going thirsty. You never could tell how magic worked, sometimes it was part of the lineage, and sometimes it could skip a generation. The people never thought to question it, choosing to follow the wise age-old saying, "Never look a gift horse in the mouth."   
  
  
  
  
The others who did question it were usually the conspirators, the con artists, the scientists, and rich people. Those were the greedy ones, wondering how far they could go, if magic could be foretold, the mysteries of it's origins, and other questions they could come up with. But, of course there was really nowhere to look, and no one to ask, because, as most people found out, if you left the town's boundaries, you never came back at all.   
  
  
  
  
So naturally, most people chose to stay with their families, content with their level of magic, rather than risk the travels to the outside world.   
  
  
  
  
Most people, that is, except _him._ Bill Cipher, known outlaw in quite a few countries, was sitting at a saloon in a town who's name he hadn't bothered to remember-  _somewhere in South America,_ he thought- and he was trying to listen to any news that he could get.   
  
  
  
  
Dressed in a white button down shirt, a black vest trimmed with gold hung around him. He had on black jeans, dark brown boots, and there was a black felt cowboy hat with a gold band encircling it, on his head. He had a slightly tanned look about him, and he looked like trouble.   
  
  
  
  
The man behind the counter wanted to toss him out immediately. But he had paid good money, and he hadn't caused any ruckus yet, so he guessed that he was acceptable. But he couldn't ignore the feeling that there was something dangerous about this man. He had kept up an amicable conversation, full of inane questions, but he had taken care to answer curtly, fearing what would happen if he told him too much. Right now, the man was silent, and he was hoping that it would stay that way.  
  
  
  
  
"Say. Is there a town near here?" The stranger had asked.  
  
  
  
  
Startled, the man had nodded. "Yeah. Gravity Falls. Nice town, but a bit strange, if ya ask me."  
  
  
  
  
The stranger quirked an eyebrow. "Why is that?"  
  
  
  
  
"That was one o' the first town where the magic hit. There 'r also some strange rumors goin' 'round, of gold bein' there n' stuff." The man said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"What's so strange about gold?" The stranger wanted to know.  
  
  
  
  
The man hesitated. "There 'ave been sightings of ghosts, and rumors 'o powerful people. 'n, every so often, most o' the people who go to this here saloon have plans to go to that town, since it's close to here. To tell the truth, most o' the people who come back aren't... the same. Somethin's wrong with their heads, if you get me."   
  
  
  
  
"Ah. I see." The stranger said, nodding. "Are those the only rumors?"   
  
  
  
  
The man was suspicious now. "Why do you wantto kno'? Seems like you're a rich person, yurself. Why would yu have inerest in something like that?"   
  
  
  
  
For a while, the stranger didn't reply, and the man was afraid that he had taken it too far. Then, the stranger grinned, showing off his sharp teeth, and suddenly, the man was afraid. Why exactly, he couldn't say, because he wasn't sure himself. "Just a passing stranger's interest."  
  
  
  
  
Later, as the man had excused himself to go check on one of his employees, he had returned to find the stranger gone, and a small stack of bronze coins. He wanted to feel relieved, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. And he wanted to be prepared when it did. So, he did the only thing he could.  
  
  
  
  
He cleaned the counter, attended to people, and waited. For something to happen.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       #                             #                             #    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"Ok, so we have the stun guns, the carbon, the bag of chips, the two-way and one-way mirrors, the dull knives and the sharp ones-" Dipper began.  
  
  
  
  
"-all that's left are the handcuffs, the crystal balls, the horse, and the magical encyclopedia!" Mabel said, grinning.   
  
  
  
  
"Hmm, I'm pretty sure we can actually get all those in one go." Dipper said, thoughtfully.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, that means less work! Where to, brother 'o mine?" Mabel asked, cheerfully.  
  
  
  
  
"Well first, we'll have to visit Quentin Trembley, since he's nearer. We'll get the handcuffs and the horse from him. Then, for the crystal balls and the magical encyclopedia, I'm pretty sure McGuckett will have an idea on how to get them, if he doesn't have them himself." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"Ooh, we'll get to see two of the most interesting people in the world!" Mabel said, grinning.  
  
  
  
  
"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't know that, living in Gravity Falls all your life." Dipper said, amused.  
  
  
  
  
"Fine, just in Gravity Falls then." Mabel said, still smiling.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper laughed, and quickly agreed. Quentin Trembley, one of the few people who didn't have magic, nevertheless had so many crazy ideas, that he made up for it. He tried to establish something called a 'government' before, and he had tried to petition for people's babies to be part of the council. Naturally, it made everyone wonder if he was crazy, and since he had no special skill, he was sent to the outskirts of town, near McGuckett's own dump.  
  
  
  
  
The house wasn't very far away, and Dipper still remembered the route. He had gone here sometimes, dragged by Mabel, who, instead of listening outside the saloon for stories, chose to listen to fantastical ones from the former council president himself. (The government thing had worked for a while.) And, Dipper had to admit, the stories were quite entertaining, even if they weren't true.   
  
  
  
  
Finally reaching the house, Dipper walked up the steps leading to a modest cabin, and knocked.   
  
  
  
  
A few minutes later, Quentin opened the door. "Well I say! Quitter! Gabel! Welcome!"  
  
  
  
  
"Hi Quentin. It's actually, um, Dipper and Mabel." Dipper said, even though he was already used to Quentin forgetting their names.  
  
  
  
  
"Ah, I see. Diaper! Ladel! Come in, come in, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Quentin asked, ushering them in.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper and Mabel exchanged a glance, Dipper amused, Mabel excited. They entered the cabin, which had a space in the front, known as the living room, a side door which led to a toilet, and a closet, which doubled as his room. There were varied seats around the living room, ranging from plastic to leather. There was a small vintage tv set, and a few holes knocked in the walls, which doubled as windows. There was also no curtains, the floor was bare, the stove was on top of a ladder, and the toilet was positioned beside the seats, but it looked homely.  
  
  
  
  
"Sit down, sit down! Want some tea?" Quentin asked, producing a decorative tea set, consisting of a whiskey bottle (the kettle), his hat (the cup), and leaves (the sugar.)  
  
  
  
  
"Nah, I'll pass." Dipper said, shooting a pointed look at Mabel who was about to try it. She sulked, but Quentin didn't notice.  
  
  
  
  
"Alright. More for me then!" He said, then set the 'tea set' down on his lap, while sitting down on the toilet's lid.  
  
  
  
  
"So. Um. Quentin, we were wondering if you have 10 pairs of handcuffs and a horse." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"We need it for our Grunkle Stan." Mabel explained.  
  
  
  
  
"Hmm. Do I own a horse?" Quentin said, tapping his chin, thoughtfully. He went over to his closet, rummaged around for a bit, and produced 8 handcuffs. Looking under the seats which had cushions, he found two more, and a couple of spare change. He handed them to Dipper, and gave the spare change to Mabel, who squealed, and began playing with it.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper put the handcuffs in his bag, magically made to make loads lighter, and thanked Quentin. "Um, so, the horse...?"  
  
  
  
  
"Ah, yes, yes. I think I have one. Only, I can't seem to remember where I put her. Come on, let's look outside." Quentin said, opening a door and walking into the bathroom. "Oops, not here." He tried to get out through a hole in the wall, and Mabel followed after him, happily. Dipper sighed, and took the door that led outside, and waited for them.  
  
  
  
  
As Quentin and Mabel came around to the front of the house, something caught Dipper's eye. "Well, I think I found the horse."  
  
  
  
  
"Where?" Quentin asked, following Dipper's pointed finger, up to the roof. "Oh. There you are! How did you get up there! Don't worry, papa will get you down!'  
  
  
  
  
"Um, Quentin, I can do it, if you want." Dipper offered.  
  
  
  
  
"Nonsense, my boy, Dassie here is my girl! I'll bring her down!" Quentin said, in a tone that had an air of finality about it.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper flushed slightly. "O-ok. Just be careful."  
  
  
  
  
"Why in my day, I used to climb up roofs myself!" Quentin said, as he began to scale the cabin. "While other boys loved to climb up trees, I'd stay up on the roofs, always having a snack with me. It was jolly fun, except I'd always fall asleep on them, and my mother would always have to drag me down. Of course, sometimes she'd just throw a blanket on top of me, and be done with the whole thing. It was sweet of her, really."   
  
  
  
  
By this time, he was on the roof, and he had climbed on top of the horse, who stood there, not moving.  
  
  
  
  
As Quentin began to talk about his childhood, Mabel shared a worried glance with Dipper. "Think we should get them down?"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper sighed. "I suppose."  
  
  
  
  
And they did the delicate task of bringing down a horse and a former president, who was stuck in memories of the past.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    #                                  #                           #   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Later, at the saloon where the mysterious stranger had gone, the man behind the counter didn't have to wait for much longer.  
  
  
  
  
People dressed up in silver suits suddenly appeared with a flash. There were three people, two men in matching gravy shirts, a black vest with an hourglass symbol on it, dark gray pants, and black and grey boots, shoulder pads, and knee pads. One was light-skinned, with short, dirty blond hair, and the other was dark-skinned, with short black hair. They had something over their eyes, something metallic. The last person was in front of them. He was short, heavyset, light-skinned, bald, and he looked frantic, or angry, it was hard to tell which.  
  
  
  
  
"You there!" The short guy said, pointing a finger at the man behind the counter. "Did someone pass by here earlier?"  
  
  
  
  
By now, most of the people were looking at the intruders, murmuring amongst themselves. The man behind the counter scowled. "If yu wantto talk, ask properly. A lot o' people 'ave passed by 'ere, who 'r yu looking for, specifically?"  
  
  
  
  
The short guy blushed, and strode forward. He hopped onto the stool (with difficulty, and with help), and leaned forward. "I'm looking for an outlaw, a Mr. Cipher, if you must. Tall, tanned skin, black and gold vest, sharp teeth? Have you seen him?"  
  
  
  
  
"And if I have?" The man behind the counter asked.   
  
  
  
  
The short guy nearly fell over in his rage. "I need to find him!"  
  
  
  
  
"Why?" The man behind the counter pressed.   
  
  
  
  
"Why?" The guy practically shrieked. "Because he's going to mess up the timeline, that's why! Things aren't supposed to happen like this! And it's going to get even worse if you don't tell me where he is! Now!"   
  
  
  
  
The man hesitated. The stranger might have been an outlaw, but he hadn't caused any trouble, and he had even paid. Customers were customers, especially if they remembered to pay a few tabs now and then. "I can't tell you. Privacy policy."  
  
  
  
  
"For Time Baby's sake, we are time police! Privacy policies don't matter to us!" The short guy really shrieked this time.  
  
  
  
  
The man behind the counter scowled. "It matters to me. Now, if you would be so kind, to just move aside, before I toss you out."  
  
  
  
  
The shorter guy fumed, until one of the guys that came with him- the lighter-skinned one- whispered something in his ear.  
  
  
  
  
The short guy's eyes widened. "He wouldn't."  
  
  
  
  
The light-skinned man merely shrugged.   
  
  
  
  
"Well. Then. This makes my job a whole lot easier." The short guy said, grinning suddenly.  
  
  
  
  
"Why? What's happened?" The man behind the counter asked, interest piqued in spite of himself.  
  
  
  
  
"Our little outlaw went to Gravity Falls. And everyone knows that's a death trap. Guess I just have to wait for him to die now!" The shorter guy said, still smiling.  
  
  
  
  
The man behind the counter frowned. "Tha's a terrible thin' to 'ay."  
  
  
  
  
"Is it? I suppose it must be, but all outlaws are the same to me." The shorter guy said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"So. Since your business is done, would you please leave my saloon now?" The man asked, irritably.  
  
  
  
  
The shorter man just smiled, which infuriated him further. "Of course. Thank you for your service."  
  
  
  
  
And he struggled down the stool, walking out of the saloon with the other two men walking behind him.   
  
  
  
  
The man watched them, and sighed. "Good luck, Mr. Cipher. Whoever you are."  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    #                               #                            #     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Later, going back to the ranch, Dipper remembered how Quentin had run up to him after he visited McGuckett. They had gotten everything, and they were on their way home, when Quentin had called out his name- well, not really his name, Quentin had called out numerous names before he had turned around - before catching up to him.  
  
  
  
  
He had panted. "M-my boy. D-do you still have the key I gave you?"   
  
  
  
  
Dipper looked puzzled, then remembered the key that Quentin had given him when they had first me. "Yes. Why?"  
  
  
  
  
"Oh thank goodness. Just hold on to that key, Ditter, just hold on to that key, and you're gonna be all right. You hear me?" Quentin demanded.  
  
  
  
  
"Hold on to the key, yeah, sure, I can do that. It's at the ranch, on a table somewhere in my room." Dipper said, blinking.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, that's perfect. Alright, I'll let you go on ahead. I just needed to say that." Quentin said, looking relieved.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel elbowed him, and when Dipper looked at her, she looked pointedly at him.   
  
  
  
  
"Oh, t-thank you Quentin." Dipper said, awkwardly.   
  
  
  
  
The man smiled at him. "Of course Dipper. Just hold on to that key for me, alright?"   
  
  
  
  
DIpper nodded. And with a wave, Quentin jogged backwards, towards his cabin.  
  
  
  
  
"What's the deal with my key?" He wondered aloud.  
  
  
  
  
"Maybe it's magical." Mabel suggested.  
  
  
  
  
"Maybe it'll open something. Something important." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"What, like the padlock around the refrigerator? Because that'd be pretty useful." Mabel joked.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper laughed too, though his was a bit nervous. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure I'll be fine."  
  
  
  
  
"Better listen to Quentin though, bro, he might be onto something." Mabel said, smiling.  
  
  
  
  
"Alright." Dipper had agreed.  
  
  
  
  
They had joked all the way home. When they were a few steps away, Dipper smelled something acrid. "Wha-"  
  
  
  
  
"Dipper, you don't think-" Mabel began.  
  
  
  
  
They looked at each other, their faces a mirror of each other's worry, and they held hands, Dipper trying to comfort her in that small gesture. Then, they ran off.  
  
  
  
  
  
And stopped. The ranch was burning.   
  
  
  
  
"No." They breathed.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel fell on her knees, dumbly. Dipper felt the slight tug on his arm as she fell, but he didn't respond. He was too stunned too.   
  
  
  
  
"Grunkle Stan's a magician. He would have gotten out in time, Mabel." Dipper heard himself saying.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel turned her tearstreaked face to his numb one. "Yeah. Alright."  
  
  
  
  
  
And they stayed like that, Mabel on the ground, Dipper frozen, until the sound of hoofbeats shook them out of their stupor.  
  
  
  
  
"Ah, woah, hey!"   
  
  
  
  
A harsh thud, like a body being thrown off, and more hoof beats.   
  
  
  
  
Turning around, Dipper found someone who looked to be about his own age, lying on the ground, gripping his knee, and looking behind him numerous times, as if he was expecting someone to follow him.   
  
  
  
  
"Um, hello?" Dipper asked, warily. Mabel turned her head too, and seemed to gape at the sight of the person.  
  
  
  
  
"Say, um, could you tell me where I am?" The person asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Gravity Falls, Oregon." Dipper said, slowly.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, that's great, that's great. Just um, give me a minute to catch my breath, and I'll introduce myself." The guy said, panting slightly.   
  
  
  
  
"Is your knee hurt?" Mabel asked, her voice scratchy.  
  
  
  
  
"It's just a scrape, don't worry about it." He said, shaking his head.   
  
  
  
  
"A scrape could get affected. Plus, the smoke is quite heavy around here, we need to go somewhere safe." Dipper said, squeezing Mabel's hand.   
  
  
  
  
"Yeah." Mabel said, blinking, as if waking up from a stupor.   
  
  
  
  
"I don't suppose we can use your horse? My old one ran away." The guy said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"Actually," Dipper said, hearing a pair of hoof beats, "I think it likes Mabel more than you."  
  
  
  
  
The horse was a milky white color, and he was nuzzling Mabel softly. Mabel reached out her left hand to stroke the horse's nose, and she soon buried her face in him.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper sighed. "Alright. Mabel you go on this horse. I'll go with  _him-"_ Dipper jerked his thumb at the stranger, "-on the other. I think our other house is safe, but McGuckett's might be safer."   
  
  
  
  
"Alright." Mabel said. Dipper helped her onto the horse, hugging her one more time, before turning his attention to the guy on the ground. Sighing, he reached down a hand. The stranger stared at it, then grabbed it. Standing up, Dipper realized that the stranger was an inch below him, maybe two, and that he had bright golden eyes, a shock of golden hair, and a sharp smile. "Thanks Pine Tree!"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper's other hand crept up to touch the brim of his hat, which was white and blue, and on which there was a symbol of a pine tree. "Um, my name's Dipper, actually."  
  
  
  
  
"Pine Tree's better." The stranger said, still grinning that strange smile.  
  
  
  
  
"Um, ok." Dipper really couldn't deal with this. He gestured to the horse. "Can you um, get on by yourself?"  
  
  
  
  
The tanned stranger snorted. His nose crinkled when he did that, and Dipper noticed that he had a lot of freckles. "Of course I can."  
  
  
  
  
And he got up, just to prove it. He lent a hand to Dipper, who studiously ignored it, and got on, sitting down in front of him.   
  
  
  
  
He grabbed the reigns, and, at a nod from Mabel, moved forward.   
  
  
  
  
Arms encircled Dipper's waist. "Hey. Cut that out."  
  
  
  
  
The arms stayed. "That's rude."  
  
  
  
  
"Look," Dipper began. "Um. What's your name?"  
  
  
  
  
"I thought you'd never ask, Pine Tree! Name's Bill! Bill Cipher!" The guy said, and without turning around, Dipper knew that he was grinning.  
  
  
  
  
"Sounds familiar." Dipper muttered.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, it should be! I'm an outlaw." The guy said, and suddenly, Dipper could feel the press of a gun's barrel against his thigh, where it was hanging from behind Bill's thigh.   
  
  
  
  
"Oh." Dipper said, alert.   
  
  
  
  
The guy hummed, and Dipper didn't even protest when Bill's arms stayed around him. Because he was an outlaw, their ranch was burning, and the key that Quentin had told him to hold onto was in that ranch, possibly burning. And he didn't even know where Grunkle Stan was.   
  
  
  
  
_And_ , this was what he was most scared of, _I think it's only the beginning._


	2. We're "all abroad" with each other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Bill needs a reminder that Dipper isn't an object, and Dipper needs a reminder that just because Bill's an outlaw doesn't mean he's evil.
> 
> Mabel helps them along as much as she can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe people commented on the first chapter, and actually liked this. (OnO)  
> THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! (OuO)//
> 
> You guys are too nice. Here's the next chapter, as requested! =D 
> 
> (All abroad means "at a loss" or "not comprehending.")

Personally, Dipper thought that this was as good a time to freak out as any.  
  
  
  
  
They had reached their goal, which was McGuckett's dump. He had took one look at them, sat them down, and told them to make themselves at home, all the while never asking any questions, which Dipper was thankful for. He wasn't quite sure what he would have said, anyway.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere soft, and forget about everything, but he couldn't. His mind was racing too much, and he knew that he had to think up a next step for them. If it was just him and Mabel, they could stay with McGuckett without any problem. But, they had someone along with them.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper chanced a glance at Bill, from his position nearest the door. He had taken the spot, and although he knew that Bill could probably escape in lots of different ways, he wanted to feel like he could stop him at least. For now, he was taking the chance to observe the man in question.   
  
  
  
  
He was leaning against the wall across from the door, staring at him. One of his eyebrows was cocked in a perfect arch, and his eyes were this sort of dark gold that Dipper couldn't help but notice, considering that McGuckett's house was really quite small. As it was, Dipper felt as if he could reach out his boot, and it would bump against Bill's own black leather ones. He didn't want to try it, of course, it was just a passing thought. He glanced at the outlaw's knee, just where his pants were rolled up. The scar was present, and Dipper was debating whether or not to offer to wash it, or to just ignore it.   
  
  
  
  
"So." Bill spoke up, startling Dipper from his thoughts.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper looked at him, questioningly, refusing to ask what was the matter. It was a tactic he had learned from Grunkle Stan. You never answered someone you didn't trust, you just waited for them to continue speaking. This usually made people uncomfortable, and they either ended up leaving, or rambling. (Dipper wasn't sure which he was hoping Bill would do. Maybe the latter.)  
  
  
  
  
Bill, in turn, just rolled his eyes. "Look, I just want to ask a couple of questions. Don't try that 'silent treatment' thing with me, it's not going to bring you anywhere."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper, because he was stubborn, pretended to ignore him.   
  
  
  
  
Bill stood there for a while, watching him, assessing him. Dipper stared back at him, refusing to show any signs of weakness. He didn't want to give an outlaw any kind of satisfaction over him.   
  
  
  
  
Finally, Bill smirked, and Dipper's gut twisted. From what, he wasn't sure. He was about to discard his former attitude, and just ask what was funny, but was interrupted by Mabel.   
  
  
  
  
"Alright, if you two are done staring at each other like you're either going to fight each other, or kiss each other, I'd really like to know what our plan is next, Dipper." She said, pointedly, but smirking slightly.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper turned to stare at her, mouth agape, face on fire. Bill was laughing so hard, Dipper wondered if he was going to fall, and resolved not to catch him if he did.  
  
  
  
  
"Mabel!" He hissed.   
  
  
  
  
"What? I'm hungry, and tired, and all you've been doing is staring at him. I don't mind it, but maybe you could do it somewhere else." Mabel said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.  
  
  
  
  
"First of all, that's never happening," Dipper said, ignoring the way the outlaw was smirking at him. "Second of all, I don't exactly know what we can do with him," (This was dictated with a flimsy hand gesture in the direction of Bill) ",and third of all, I don't trust him."  
  
  
  
  
"Geez, you don't even know what I'm an outlaw for." Bill said, rolling his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
"Murdering, rape, slavery, something like that?" Dipper asked, glaring at him.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel looked at him, a bit of fear evident in her eyes.  
  
  
  
  
Bill glanced at Mabel, then turned his attention back to Dipper. Then, his brow furrowed, and he looked back at Mabel. That fear she had in her eyes... it wasn't because of who he was, was it? No, she was worried for her brother.   
  
  
  
  
_How sweet._ Bill thought, repressing the urge to throw up. He didn't deal well with sweet things.   
  
  
  
  
Bill turned his gaze back to Dipper, who looked surprisingly defiant. Well,  _that_ he could work with. "I'd rather not answer that. It's way too much fun seeing you struggle."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper scowled, and Mabel sighed. "Well, that's that then!"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper looked at her incredulously. "What do you mean, 'that's that'? We don't even know what he's done, and we're just going to let the issue go? Mabel, what if he  _kills us?"  
_  
  
  
  
" _He_ is standing in front of you." Bill pointed out. Dipper ignored him.   
  
  
  
  
"Bro-bro, didn't I always tell you that it's much better to choose to trust someone by what they do now, rather than what they did in the past, or will do in the future?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, of course! Hey, you know what Bill, I'm sorry, here, you're welcome to put a gun to my temple whenever you like! That won't make me judge you at all!" Dipper said, sarcastically.  
  
  
  
  
Bill snorted, and Mabel rolled her eyes. "Come on, Dipper, we really need a next step."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper kneaded a hand on his temple, eyes closed. Bill waited to see what he would come up with next.   
  
  
  
  
"Why are you here?" Dipper asked, suddenly, eyes opening. Mabel groaned. "Dipper, we really don't-"   
  
  
  
  
"No, just trust me." Dipper said, shaking his head impatiently.  
  
  
  
  
"I was on the run. Couple of people chasing me." Bill said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"Hmm, alright. Must have been from the nearest town, with all those shops. A horse ride here wouldn't have been long, probably 12 minutes, maybe less. Probably came here, because of the border thing... but the cops...?" Dipper muttered, starting to pace the small space.  
  
  
  
  
Bill glanced at him, curiously. Most of the things he had said were correct, and he had pieced it all together quite quickly. He wanted to hear Dipper's conclusion.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper stopped, suddenly, and then whirled to face him. "A-ha!"  
  
  
  
  
Bill raised an eyebrow at Dipper's sudden close proximity. "Yes?"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper suddenly blushed, considering that Bill's face was just an inch away from him, and his eyebrow was doing that thing again, and his mouth was scrunched in an amused grin...  
  
  
  
  
_Nope. Not going there._ Dipper said, stopping his train of thought. He moved back slightly. "Um, anyway, I was about to ask something. You do know that people can't leave this place, right? Gravity Falls, I mean?"  
  
  
  
  
Bill considered lying, and saying that he knew that all along. "Yeah. I found that out before I decided to go here. Why?"  
  
  
  
  
"This might sound weird to you, but... did it feel sort of tingly, or did you not notice it at all?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Tingly." Bill said.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper nodded, like this was what he was expecting. "Did you have all of your things with you when you went through it? And, when you went through it, were you transparent, or solid?"  
  
  
  
  
"Dipper, he wouldn't have noticed that." Mabel said, frowning.  
  
  
  
"Actually, I did. After going through the border, I checked all of my things. They were all there. I was transparent." Bill easily answered.  
  
  
  
  
"Ok, ok. Last question. Do you have a history of magic?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
Bill contemplated not answering that question. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he made Dipper float a few inches off the ground.   
  
  
  
  
  
He shrieked, and it took Bill a moment to see that he was laughing. Mabel looked at him, scared that he would fall.   
  
  
  
  
Bill knew that he should probably let him down, but Dipper was grinning too widely for him to do that. Plus, with that slight backdrop of blue surrounding him, he looked almost... ethereal.  
  
  
  
  
"So. Having fun, or should I let you down now?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"No need." Dipper said, flicking his right wrist. Immediately, the glow around him vanished, and he landed on his feet safely. Bill raised an eyebrow at this.   
  
  
  
  
"Alright." He said, flushed. "I think... I think I have a plan.

  
  
\--------------------------------------  #                #               # ----------------------------------  
  
  
Dipper was tasked with making dinner, as he had insisted Mabel to sleep, and that he'd wake her up when it was ready. He didn't let Bill do it, frankly he didn't trust him with a stove.   
  
  
  
  
"Wouldn't it just be easier to run out and get some salt horses or wasps nests?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"I don't want to leave Mabel." was Dipper's immediate reply.  
  
  
  
  
"Why not just make something with magic?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Because Mabel can tell when I've cooked something with magic, and when I've cooked it with my own hands. She says that food cooked with magic has a sharp, spicy taste to it." Dipper said, deciding to use magic to create a stove, a few pans, and the ingredients he needed. The rest he would do with his hands.  
  
  
  
  
He went over to McGuckett's sink, which was in a side room, said a spell to make sure that it was clean, and washed his hands with soap (he had a bar of it in his bag. He liked to be prepared, Ok?), and water, quickly shutting off the sink so as not to waste any more fluid. Satisfied, he headed back outside, where Bill was leaning against the wall of the other side room, known as a kitchen and dining room in one. He went to the stove, set the pan on top, and put a thin layer of oil on it. He made sure to spread the oil evenly, then put the fire on low. He grabbed a can of corn beef, and glanced at Bill. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how hungry are you?"  
  
  
  
  
"Practically famished, Pine Tree." Bill said, grinning.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes. "Are you aiming for quantity or quality?"  
  
  
  
  
"Quality of course." Bill said, smirking.  
  
  
  
  
"So, it won't matter if I just cook this can of corn beef, or would you prefer silverside corned beef?" Dipper asked.   
  
  
  
  
"Just my luck, I had to be holed up with a perfectionist. Look, anything you cook would be fine, alright?" Bill said, his tone soft despite his seemingly harsh words.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper blinked, then quickly nodded. "I don't have enough materials to make silverside corned beef, I'll get some tomorrow." And with that, he dumped at least half of the can in the pan, quickly moving them around, so that they could absorb the oil.  
  
  
  
  
Bill was quiet for a while, taking the chance to observe Dipper while he was occupied. The boy moved methodically, almost like he had a checklist in his head. His hands moved fluidly, and he seemed to use both hands equally, at least in cooking. If the right one was using the spatula, the left one was adding a bit of salt in. He also had this concentrated look on his face, like cooking was an art he wasn't fully sure he understood.   
  
  
  
  
"Relax Pine Tree, the food isn't going to attack you, if that's what you're worried about." Bill said, smirking.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper didn't look at him, too occupied with what he was doing. "If it does, I hope you won't shoot it. We could still give it to people who need it, and I doubt they'd appreciate the taste of metal."  
  
  
  
  
"Some have already told me that metal tastes sort of rusty, but that might just be the blood that filled up their mouths when it hit." BIll said, watching to see how Dipper would react.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper's hands stiffened. "I hope you don't plan on talking like that with Mabel around. She wouldn't take it as well as I do."  
  
  
  
  
Bill raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"  
  
  
  
  
"Yes." Dipper said, grabbing a clean bowl, and scooping corn beef in it. He grabbed the can, and emptied the next half.  
  
  
  
  
"Any particular reason why I should listen to you?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Because she doesn't react nearly as well as I do to ominous or gory sentences like that. She'd kick you out faster than I could do anything." Dipper said, moving the corned beef all around the pan, trying to get the last few oil drops off.   
  
  
  
  
"Why haven't you kicked me out yet?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"I think you'll be useful to us." Dipper said, curtly.   
  
  
  
  
Earlier, Dipper had given Bill the basic idea of what he wanted to do. Then, Mabel had dragged him off, and before she could speak, Dipper had cast a sound spell, making sure that Bill couldn't hear them. Bill could have taken it off, but he decided that there were better ways to get the information out of him. More... _amusing_ ways.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh? I'm flattered, really I am." Bill said, leaving his place of leaning against the wall, and walking over to Dipper. He didn't react, but he did flinch slightly when Bill wrapped his arms around him.   
  
  
  
  
"Can you not do that? We're near fire Bill, and as we're both flammable, I'd rather not burn us both." Dipper said, his voice slightly strained.  
  
  
  
  
Bill hummed, and tightened his embrace, if that was what you could call it. "Don't worry, I've dealt with lots of things worse than a few oil spills or fire burns."  
  
  
  
  
"I can imagine that." Dipper said, mixing the corn beef together a few more times, and scraping the pan's sides clean. He soon deposited it in the bowl from before, and then turned off the fire. He waved his pan, and all of the remaining food and oil stains were cleaned. He let the stove and pan and ingredients stay there, just in case he needed to cook again. "I'm done cooking, Bill, could you let go of me now?"  
  
  
  
  
"But you took so long cooking! I was _ravenous_ , Pine Tree, and you kept food away from me." Bill said, his face taking on a pained look.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper huffed. "It would have gone easier if you helped."  
  
  
  
  
"You didn't trust me to cook, remember?" Bill said, sarcastically.  
  
  
  
  
"You could have washed the pans or something." Dipper suggested.  
  
  
  
  
"You did it before I had a chance to." Bill said, rolling his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry then, if you can't find anything to keep you entertained!" Dipper snapped.   
  
  
  
  
Bill chuckled, and it had just a hint of darker undertones that Dipper shivered. "Oh, I can think of a few things to keep me entertained."  
  
  
  
  
And that was when Dipper slapped him.   
  
  
  
  
Bill withdrew, eyes wide, bringing a hand up to touch his reddening cheek. "Did you just..."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper, seeing Bill start shake, tensed up. "Not my fault."  
  
  
  
  
"YOU JUST SLAPPED ME. HOW IS THAT NOT YOUR FAULT?" Bill demanded.  
  
  
  
  
"I refuse to be your plaything." Dipper hissed.  
  
  
  
  
"YOU-"  Bill started, then cut himself off. He stood there for a while, looking at Dipper. Dipper returned his gaze, defiantly.  
  
  
  
  
"Whatever." Bill said, and stalked off. Dipper blinked, looking at Bill's retreating back. He guessed that he was lucky that it didn't get any worse than that.   
  
  
  
  
With a deep breath, he turned back to the bowl. He needed a table.   
  
  
\------------------------------      #                       #                    #    ----------------------  
  
  
Bill was fuming. Who did he think he was, rejecting him like that? It wasn't even a serious statement, and he had reacted like  _that._ Having the nerve to just fucking slap him, whenever he fucking wanted to. (He didn't normally swear, but Dipper was an exception.)  
  
  
  
  
He was so busy seeing red that he didn't notice Mabel looking at him until she was sitting up on the floor, the noise of the creaky floors reminding him that he had no right to let his emotions get the best of him.   
  
  
  
  
"Yes?" Bill asked. He hadn't had a conversation with the twin sister before. What would she be like? Just like Pine Tree, but even more annoying? (Not possible. Bill decided. No one could be more annoying than that boy.)  
  
  
  
  
"Did you and Dipper get in a fight?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
"He... overstepped some lines." Bill said, tense.  
  
  
  
  
"You didn't..." Mabel trailed off, eyes wide.  
  
  
  
  
"Fuck no, Shooting Star, no I didn't." Bill said, shaking his head. "But I could have." He added.   
  
  
  
  
"Ah." Mabel relaxed immediately.   
  
  
  
  
"You're not worried that I just said that I could kill your brother?" Bill asked, eyebrows furrowed.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, a lot of people want to kill my brother, mainly because he's really good at magic, and he's way too observant for his own good. But, since you didn't kill him right away, I can still hope that some things can work." Mabel said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
Bill blinked. That... wasn't the answer he expected. "Don't get your hopes up too high, Shooting Star. Your brother can be quite annoying at times."  
  
  
  
  
Mabel's hand came up to touch her earrings in the shape of shooting stars. "Why? What did he do?"  
  
  
  
  
"Fucking slapped me, that's what he did. For no reason, other than the fact that I was too close." Bill said, scowling. (And also because he had said some stuff, but he didn't expect Dipper to react  _that_ much.)  
  
  
  
  
Mabel raised an eyebrow. "My brother's very rational, but very sensitive. Whatever you said must have shook him up. What did you say?"   
  
  
  
  
"Some stuff about him being a source of entertainment or something." Bill said, waving a hand as if it didn't matter, though his gut suddenly twisted at Mabel's explanation of Dipper.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh." Mabel said, understanding immediately. "Yeah, I play around with him a lot, and tease him, partly because he's my brother, and partly because it's just fun. But sometimes, I can say something without thinking, and then he'll react. Dipper's just like that. Really nice, but even he has limits of where he's comfortable."  
  
  
  
  
"I wasn't even serious!" Bill protested, feeling strangely like a perpetrator.   
  
  
  
  
"Ooh, Dipper hates that the most. Honesty is what my brother values. Even if it's mean, he'd sooner accept you for being a candor, than being someone who treats him like an object." Mabel explained.  
  
  
  
  
Strangely enough, Bill found himself nodding. It made sense, in a way, that someone like him would accept the truth, no matter how bad or mean-spirited it was.   
  
  
  
  
In a way, it made him kinda like the kid a bit. Just a bit. Anyone who could stand up to him earned his respect, after all. (Except if you were just plain stupid, and Bill knew that Dipper was way smarter than the usual arrogant bastards who stood up to him.)  
  
  
  
  
"I see." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel smiled. "He's probably going to apologize soon. Don't be too hard on him, alright?"  
  
  
  
  
  
"No promises there, Shooting Star." Bill said, but grinned, to show her that he was only half-joking.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Anyway, while we wait for him, why don't you tell me a story?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
Story telling without a purpose wasn't really Bill's style, but he didn't really have anything else to do. So he shrugged, and nodded. "Ok."  
  
  
\----------------------------- #                          #                      #  ------------------------------  
  
  
Dipper glanced at the food in front of him, decided it was good enough, and called. "Mabel! Bill! Dinner!"   
  
  
  
  
He could hear laughter, then the sounds of footsteps, and there was Mabel, smirking at something, and Bill, looking oddly embarrassed.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper indicated the food in front of him, which consisted of two bowls of corn beef, one bowl of rice, another bowl of bread, and a dish of pudding.  
  
  
  
  
"I raised the temperature around the pudding, so it will be hot when we're done eating." Dipper explained.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel's eyes shone. "Pudding!"   
  
  
  
  
She reached out a hand, and was immediately intercepted by Dipper. "Corned beef first, Mabel. Dessert after."  
  
  
  
  
She pouted, then shrugged. "Fine." She took the seat next to Dipper, leaving him and Bill standing.  
  
  
  
  
"Um, sit wherever, I guess." Dipper said, rubbing the back of his neck.   
  
  
  
  
Bill nodded, and took the seat across from him. Dipper sat down as well, and after an awkward moment of silence, they began to eat.   
  
  
  
  
"Ooh, Dip-Dot, did you cook this by yourself?" Mabel asked, after swallowing the first bite.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper nodded. "I knew you said that you didn't like it when I cooked with magic, so I tried to cook by myself. I'm just lucky I didn't burn anything."   
  
  
  
  
"He acted like the food was going to attack him. I was so sure he was going to insert a thermometer in the pan, just to test how hot it was." Bill mocked, but with a softer tone.  
  
  
  
  
"I wasn't going to do that! Besides, I don't even have a thermometer!" Dipper protested.  
  
  
  
  
Bill raised an eyebrow. Dipper sighed. "Bag." He mumbled.  
  
  
  
  
Bill grinned, and Mabel laughed. "I'm still proud of you bro-bro, even if you're afraid of food."  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not afraid of food! I'm afraid of the ability of fire to leap up and possibly melt the pan. Also of the oil spilling, and of goats." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"Goats?" Bill asked in disbelief.   
  
  
  
  
"The goat near our ranch is evil, Bill. Seriously. I'm not kidding." Dipper insisted.   
  
  
  
  
BIll shared a look with Mabel, who was smiling encouragingly. "What did it do, go too close for comfort?"  
  
  
  
  
"I didn't slap it, if that's what you're asking." Dipper had the grace to look sheepish.   
  
  
  
  
"I see. Well, that's the difference between me and the goat, then. But I think I can relate to it." Bill said, dramatically. "You're too harsh to people who don't mean anything bad."  
  
  
  
  
"I'm sensitive to people who try to get too close. Animals too." Dipper said, staring at him shyly.   
  
  
  
  
Bill blinked, before an expression of mock horror crossed his face. "You think I'm an animal?"  
  
  
  
  
"No! That's not what I- I, I mean..." Dipper stammered. Bill grinned, while Mabel rolled her eyes.   
  
  
  
  
"I meant that... I let the goat close once. And it ate all my research work. That's why I don't trust goats now." Dipper said, flushing slightly, but staring at Bill.   
  
  
  
  
Seeing if he got the message. And Bill did. "Well, that was a pretty intelligent goat. Saved you from getting too curious."   
  
  
  
  
Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Getting too curious is bad?"  
  
  
  
  
"Getting too close to the truth can do strange things to people, Pine Tree." Bill said, raising an eyebrow as well.  
  
  
  
  
They stared at each other for a while, sending wordless messages, but not quite sure what they were trying to say.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel rolled her eyes. "Geez, do guys always have to be so difficult? Dipper, Bill wants to say he's sorry-" (Bill spluttered here, and Dipper blinked),"-and Bill, Dipper says that he's sorry. You were both idiots, you're not serious, just shake hands or something."   
  
  
  
  
  
Dipper had the grace to look embarrassed, and Bill was trying to look as if he didn't care.   
  
  
  
  
With one last roll of her eyes, and one last mutter of "Geez," Mabel reached to her left, and grabbed Dipper's hand. Then, she grabbed Bill's right hand, and put Dipper's right one beside it. "Shake!" she commanded.  
  
  
  
  
They glanced at each other, then at their hands, then at her. Deciding that she wouldn't change her mind, they shook.   
  
  
  
  
Bill's hand was rough, but his fingers were long and slim. Dipper's was smooth, but his fingers were defined. Their hands were warm, and they stared, daring the other to say something.  
  
  
  
  
_Mabel's not going to let us go if we don't apologize._ Dipper said with his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
_Hah! As if I care! You can apologize first!_ Bill said back.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper gripped Bill's hand tighter, twisting it just a bit backwards, moving slower the whole time, until-   
  
  
  
  
"Ow! Wow! Ok!" Bill said, looking at him almost completely bent wrist.  
  
  
  
  
"Sorry." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"Yeah, well you should be-" Bill began, and was rewarded with another twist. "Wow, ok, ok, Pine Tree! You're forgiven!"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper looked at him blankly. "And, I guess I'm sort of sorry for being myself?"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes, but cracked a smirk. "I really don't think I can handle the real you, Cipher. I mean, come on, apologizing for being yourself? Makes me feel ashamed."  
  
  
  
  
"It's always a pleasure to make you feel questioning emotions." Bill said, smirking as well.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel rolled her eyes for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day. " _Boys."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, Bill is not asking if Dipper wants literal salt horses and wasps nests (though that would be pretty cool.) 'Salt horses' simply mean 'Corned beef' and 'Wasps nests' mean 'Bread.'  
> (http://mentalfloss.com/article/12658/27-cowboy-slang-terms-things-you-eat-and-drink)
> 
> (Dipper puts a kind of glove spell on his hands before cooking, so that his hands don't get burned.)
> 
> If there are any mistakes, I'll fix them in the morning! =]


	3. To be above-broad with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper dreams, Mabel remembers memories from long ago, and Bill's tired, and just wants to be with Dipper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe people even commented on the second chapter, but since they did, here is a third chapter! Thanks for everyone who gave kudos, or commented, or even just read this fic, you guys are amazing! =D
> 
> ("Above-broad" means "In open sight/without artifice or trick")

Bill couldn't sleep.

 

It wasn't so much that he couldn't sleep, per se, it was just that he couldn't stop thinking. About his situation, about his goal, about what his next step would be... and what to do about _them_.

 

He glanced over to the twins; the female- Mabel, he thinks- is on the couch, after Dipper tried his best to fix it, and after he had insisted that she take it. She was curled up on it, wrapping her arms around the pillow that Dipper had magicked for her, and looking peaceful. Bill shifted his gaze to the lump on the floor. Dipper was on the floor, with a blanket tossed haphazardly on him, and his arms tucked in against his chest. His hair was falling in messy waves across his face, and his hat was on the floor beside him. He, however, didn't look peaceful. The closest he got was when his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his lips pursed; and even that just made him look contemplative.

 

BIll knew that they didn't trust him. The girl might be open to strange situations and strangers, but he knew that if he ever threatened them seriously, she wouldn't hesitate to fight him, as long as her brother would be safe. The boy of course wouldn't be surprised, but he would fight as savagely as if Bill had only just revealed his evil intent, which, at the moment, he wasn't even sure if he had any.

 

Of course he was an outlaw for a reason, but it didn't mean that he had to act like he was on the run everyday. Sometimes it got tiring, and sometimes he wondered what would happen if he just gave himself up... then he'd remember the promise he made that he would never let anyone take him if he didn't allow it, and if he wasn't anywhere near death. Mostly, it was exciting, going through different towns, meeting different people, living through different stories. He loved the thrill it gave him, something new every time.

 

Just now, if he had decided to give himself up to the people who were chasing him, he wouldn't have been able to meet Dipper and his sister. The girl made him feel like he was a normal person, and the boy made him think, made him challenge himself. It was like a competition between the two of them, with Dipper watching him, and waiting to see if he would make a wrong move, and he, just biding his time, waiting for the right moment to reveal himself, to show them who he really was.

 

He startled slightly when he heard a soft sound, and he looked to see Dipper's hand clutched around his pine tree hat, and his other arm wrapped around his torso. He was breathing heavily, and Bill wondered what was making him sound like that. He wondered what he thought of when he was asleep; did he still make up conspiracy theories when he was asleep, or did he dream of something better than their situation right now?

 

Bill wondered until he fell asleep, or reached something akin to it, and still, he had the feeling that he would get more questions from Dipper than answers.

\------------------------ # # # --------------------------  
  
It was morning, the sun was warm, and Dipper opened his eyes to see empty space where Bill had slept the night before.   
  
  
  
  
Thoughts raced themselves in his head. The first one consisted of the possibility that Bill had already left them, just as he always knew he would. The second thing he thought of was a question, wondering if he should be happy or not, since he could have been useful in his plan. The third thought was that Bill knew his plan, and was probably already at the Northwest Manor. This last thought made him throw off his blankets, and clench his pine tree hat tightly in his fist.   
  
  
  
  
He breathed in deeply, and did a quick spell, something that searched for body heat. There were only two sources of it. He grit his teeth, then froze as something occurred to him. He turned around, assessed the empty couch in front of him, then fled to the kitchen. He sighed in relief when he saw Mabel safely at the table. She was sitting with her back to him, but when he entered, she turned around.   
  
  
  
  
"Hi." She said, sounding perfectly calm.   
  
  
  
  
"BIll's gone." Dipper said, bluntly.   
  
  
  
  
"I noticed." Mabel said, still sounding infuriatingly calm.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper paused. "Why aren't you freaking out? We told him our plan! He could be at the Northwests right now!"  
  
  
  
  
Mabel didn't answer for a while, and instead stared steadily at her hands, which were folded on her lap. "He's not there. He's getting something for me."   
  
  
  
  
Dipper stared at her. "Huh?"  
  
  
  
  
"I know you don't trust him, Dipper, so I woke up early. I wanted to tell myself to trust him, but apparently my conscience- which I still can't tell if it sounds more like me or you- told me not to. At least, not right away. So I waited, and soon enough, Bill woke up. He stood up for a minute, unsure if he should leave- he kept glancing at you- then startled. I think he must have sensed me or something, because the next minute, he said, "What are you doing up so early?" And I said, "I could say the same for you." So he shrugged, then asked what I wanted. I told him that I wanted him to stay until you and I decided otherwise, and I also added that he could go and buy us breakfast while he was at it." Mabel said, finally glancing up.  
  
  
  
  
"So, he agreed? Just like that?" Dipper asked, incredulously.  
  
  
  
  
"I was surprised too. He seemed... relieved, somehow." Mabel said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"Huh. Well." Dipper said, processing what Mabel just told him. "Why did you ask for breakfast, though? You know I could magic something up."   
  
  
  
  
"Dip-Dot, you know you need to save your magic, it's not expendable, and neither are you." Mabel insisted. "Besides, we need you in good shape before we..."  
  
  
  
  
"Before we go look for Grunkle Stan, yes, I know." Dipper said, and sighed. He knew that Mabel wanted to leave as early as possible, but they still needed supplies. He paused, thinking. "Wait. You sent him out to get supplies, didn't you?"  
  
  
  
  
"Of course I did. And don't even worry about him being recognized, I'm sure he's got a couple of spells handy." Mabel said, waving her hand in a vague gesture.  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to want him to be captured or not." Dipper said, groaning.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel rolled her eyes. "He's an outlaw, Dipper, but he's still human."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper groaned. "It's too early to have the talk on humanity again."  
  
  
  
  
"You've woken up earlier than this." Mabel said, staring pointedly at the bags under Dipper's eyes. They were light, and not as bad as his earlier ones, which always looked like bruises.   
  
  
  
  
"Yes I have, but it's usually for good reasons." Dipper said, stifling a yawn.  
  
  
  
  
"See? You're still sleepy. It's just 3 A.M. bro, go to sleep." Mabel said, exasperatedly.  
  
  
  
  
"I should be telling you that." Dipper said, but it was clear that he was struggling to stay awake. His adrenaline rush from earlier was fading, and he longed to be back on the floor, covered in blankets.   
  
  
  
  
"Dipper, I'm fine. I'll stay up, and wait for Bill, ok? You go sleep, you need it for later." Mabel ordered.  
  
  
  
  
"F-fine. But when he comes back, you wake me up, and I'll go talk to him while you sleep." Dipper insisted.  
  
  
  
  
"Sure thing, bro-bro." Mabel said, rolling her eyes, but smiling fondly at him. Dipper nodded, then stumbled back to the floor. He couldn't immediately fall asleep, because he was sure that there was something that Mabel wasn't telling him, but he wanted to trust her. He lay awake for a while, promising to himself that he would wake up as soon as the door opened. And with that in mind, he rolled over, and promptly fell asleep again.  
  
\------------------------  #             #            # --------------------------------  
  
_He's dreaming again._  
  
  
  
  
_By now, he's pretty used to it, and he's even classified his dreams into two kinds: one was the usual dream of everyone he knows and loves dying, and the second one consists of dreams that sometimes come true. The latter is always pretty vague, and are usually composed of lots of seemingly unrelated images. He wonders which dream it is this time. (At least he's still himself, as far as he can tell.)_  
  
  
  
  
_It doesn't take long before he stars to feel something sticky on his shoes, and he looks down to see blood. It's a dark red, flowing richly, and it's coming from a body far away. Dipper makes his legs move, and soon, he crosses the short distance between them. He kneels down, and discovers that his fingers are shaking. Odd. He hooks his fingers around the fabric of the person's shirt, and rolls him over to face him._  
  
  
  
  
_He has a shock of yellow hair, and one eye is closed, peaceful. But his other eye... only an empty socket remains there, and blood is still pooling from it. A strong nose, a pursed mouth, one hand closed... it's Bill. And Dipper has the feeling that if he had to open Bill's hand, he would see the missing eyeball in it._  
  
  
  
  
_Taking a deep breath, he steels himself, and..._  
  
  
  
  
(Flash)  
  
  
  
  
_He's somewhere else again, no longer kneeling on the dusty floor in front of Bill's dead body. This time, he's just a person (albeit slightly invisible) in a saloon, listening to gossip. He acts casual, but he strains his ears to listen, because he feels that maybe something new is happening, and he wants to be a part of it._  
  
  
  
  
_"Something strange-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"I heard that he made a deal with someone, and that's why he's like that."_  
  
  
  
  
_"-something about a dead person? Wanted to bring him back?"_  
  
  
  
  
_"No, that was someone else. Remember? The resurrection you're talking about happened back in 1800,or was it 1812? Something like that."_  
  
  
  
  
_"He's unstable."_  
  
  
  
  
_"Greedy."_  
  
  
  
  
_"Reckless."_  
  
  
  
  
_"Dangerous."_  
  
  
  
  
_The voices had grown louder with each word said, until suddenly, they went back to whispering._  
  
  
  
  
_"Still. There are still some good people in this here town."_  
  
  
  
  
_"Like Gleeful? Or the Northwests?"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Rich they are, but good is a different matter."_  
  
  
  
  
_"That Gleeful boy seems nice."_  
  
  
  
  
_"Of course he is. He's a charmer, that boy. What about the Northwest girl? She's very polite and obedient, seems like a wonderful daughter."_  
  
  
  
  
_"You're just saying that because her father is Preston Northwest."_  
  
  
  
  
_Laughter.  
  
  
  
  
"So what if I am?"_  
  
  
  
  
(Flash)  
  
  
  
  
_He's not sure where he is now, but he thinks he's in a dark room. He can hear voices in the other room, and it's a miracle he can hear them at all, because his heart is pounding so hard, and his ears are full of the sound. He does a couple of calming exercises, and in under 3 minutes, he's got his heartbeat settled. Sighing, thankful, he moves closer to press his ear closer to the door._  
  
  
  
  
_He thinks he can hear them clearer this time._  
  
  
  
(Flash)  
  


 

 

\---------------------- # # # ---------------------  
  
Dipper woke up, heart beating just as fast as the heartbeat of the man in his dreams, and found his hands clutching the sheets. He started to glance down at his body, patting it down, making sure that everything is intact.  
  
  
  
  
The thing he hates about those kinds of dreams, is that he can be a different person every time, and it always shakes him up. Sometimes, he can be himself, but usually he's invisible, like in the saloon.  
  
  
  
  
So, why was he able to touch Bill, and remain wholly himself? (Or, as whole as he could be in dreams.)  
  
  
  
  
Usually being able to be there physically only happened in his former kinds of dreams, where his loved ones die. He can always remember those all too clearly, and he's woken up with the feeling of cold skin, and seeping blood on more than one occasion.  
  
  
  
  
But his fingers still remember the feeling of Bill's white button down shirt, and of his cold hands, and of his smooth face. And the blood.  
  
  
  
  
Looking back on his dreams, Dipper found it weird that even though he was jerked throughout lots of scenarios, they were clearer than they usually were. They also seemed like messages, not of the far future, but of something much nearer. It filled him with a sense of apprehension, and he wondered if he could have more time to think back on them. But, he knew that Mabel would protest, especially when he tells her about the last dream.  
  
  
  
  
Because he thinks he found Grunkle Stan.  
  
\--------------------------- # # # ----------------------  
  
Mabel jerked up suddenly, from where her head hit the table. She rubbed her cheek sheepishly with the palm of her hand, wondering what woke her up. Then her eyes widened. Dipper. It was Dipper. He had gasped, didn't he? She was pretty sure that he didn't scream, unlike his other nightmares, and compared to them a gasp seemed pretty mild, but her hearing had attuned itself to Dipper's sounds of distress, and she was pretty sure that gasping counted as one.  
  
  
  
  
She quickly ran out to where Dipper was sitting down, looking at his hands. They were shaking.  
  
  
  
  
He glanced up at her, and she went to him, sitting down on the floor, and crossing her legs together. "Hey."  
  
  
  
  
"Hey." Dipper said, and his voice is calm, but there's something else there. Excitement?  
  
  
  
  
"So, what's happening?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
"I was dreaming again, and I had a couple of visions, and anyway, I think I know where Grunkle Stan is now." Dipper said, and yup, that was definitely excitement.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel's eyes widened. "What?"  
  
  
  
  
"Remember our plan to go the Northwest for information? Since you know, he's the mayor and all? I think our reasons for meeting him has been changed. We'll demand him to return our Grunkle back." Dipper said, voice filled with determination.  
  
  
  
  
"Wait, wait, hold up, hold up.The mayor has our Grunkle? But why?" Mabel asked, confused.  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not exactly sure why myself, but I had this dream where Grunkle Stan was listening at a door, and the room was dark, but you know how Pacifica always has this smell of tomatoes, or lettuce, or whatever vegetable it is-" Dipper began.  
  
  
  
  
"Argula." Mabel automatically corrected. Dipper stared at her for a while, and Mabel internally cursed. "Um, so yeah. Anyway, the room smelled like that, and a couple of other rich food that I don't even know the names of. Plus, I think I could hear the Mayor's voice- you know how it sounds really smooth and deep, but also like whatever he says is a threat in disguise? So, I heard that, and I'm pretty sure he's keeping Grunkle Stan for some reason, I'm just not sure what that reason is. Maybe he needs help with something?"  
  
  
  
  
"But what would he need Grunkle Stan for? All he knows is how to con people!" Mabel said, but her voice was soft and frustrated, and not as harsh as her words implied.  
  
  
  
  
"I don't know. Maybe he's got a couple of tricks that the Mayor needs to know. He hasn't really shown a hidden skill that we haven't noticed, has he?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Not really, unless you count how far he can spit." Mabel mused.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper shuddered. "Yeah, no, that doesn't count."  
  
  
  
  
"But it doesn't really matter. Whatever he was kidnapped for, he can tell us when we save him. We're going to save him, right bro?" Mabel asked, nervously.  
  
  
  
Dipper nodded and smiled. "Yeah. As soon as Bill comes back with the supplies, we can go over the plan I just thought of."  
  
  
  
  
Mabel squealed, and hugged him. "Great! We'll be able to get him back in no time!"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper laughed, and hugged her back, quelling the beginnings of doubt that was worming itself into his mind.  
  
\---------------- #           #       # ----------------  
  
Bill was sweaty, tired, and most of all, annoyed.   
  
  
  
  
Getting supplies was easy, it was dealing with people that was hard. They always had so many questions, and unlike Pine Tree, who could usually get the answer right away, without Bill having to tell him much, they had absolutely no idea when their questions were being answered. Could you blame him if he liked using more allegories and alliterations than the average person? They could at least tell him that they didn't understand, instead of laughing like whatever he just said was a hilarious joke. Bill growled. It sickened him.  
  
  
  
He just hoped Pine Tree was awake, he needed a bit of repartee to lift his spirits.  
  
  
  
  
He found the place where they were currently staying, and kicked it repeatedly with his boot, his arms filled with too many bags to knock properly.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel opened the door, and her eyes widened at the number of bags that he had.   
  
  
  
  
Bill brushed past her, and dumped his load on the floor of the living room. He stretched, joints popping, and groaned. "Ugh, next time, make Pine Tree do all the dirty work.'  
  
  
  
  
"All I had you do was buy breakfast and supplies." Mabel said, staring disbelievingly at the satchels.   
  
  
  
  
Bill shrugged. "I had a couple of side trips."  
  
  
  
  
"I noticed." Mabel said, trying to open a satchel.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Where's Pine Tree?" Bill asked, slapping her hand none too gently.  
  
  
  
  
"He's in the kitchen, writing and drawing our battle plan." Mabel said, cheerfully.  
  
  
  
  
"Call him out, he should help with unloading these stuff." Bill said, waving his hand to indicate the bags.  
  
  
  
  
"Call him out yourself." Mabel said, shooting him a look.  
  
  
  
  
Bill rolled his eyes. "PINE TREE! GET ABOVE-BOARD ALREADY!"  
  
  
  
  
"WHY?" Dipper called.  
  
  
  
  
"BECAUSE I SAY SO." Bill said, annoyed.  
  
  
  
  
Silence.   
  
  
  
  
  
Dipper appeared in front of him, rolling his eyes. "Yes?"  
  
  
  
  
Bill gestured at the bags. "Help."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper turned around, and his eyebrows furrowed. "Is that... a colt walker?"  
  
  
  
  
"Yes it is." Bill said, staring at one of the guns that he bought.   
  
  
  
  
"Ok." Dipper said, shrugging. He reached down, grabbed two bags, and lifted it, moving to the kitchen. Bill was entranced with how Dipper's back muscles became more prominent when he moved, then grinned, reached down, and grabbed three bags, just to spite him.   
  
  
  
  
He follow Dipper to the kitchen, and set the bags down on the floor.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper started to bring the items in the bags out, arranging them, and organizing them into their respective categories. Food, weapons, paper, food, weapons, pens, food...  
  
  
  
  
"I'm surprised you were able to get all these. Didn't anyone ask questions?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
Bill rolled his eyes. "You don't know the half of it! I mean, how can people not know how unambiguous they are?"  
  
  
  
  
"Probably because you like saying stuff that are perspicuous?" Dipper suggested.  
  
  
  
  
Bill grinned. "That's half of the fun, Pine Tree."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly. They continued fixing stuff for a while, before Bill spoke up. "So. Did Shooting Star tell you anything?"  
  
  
  
  
"She told me that you tried to leave us." Dipper said, bluntly.  
  
  
  
  
" 'Leave' is such a strong word, Pine Tree. Why not use 'vacate'?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Both words still mean that you left, and don't even try to deny it." Dipper said, wondering what to do with the lettuce.  
  
  
  
  
"And? Why aren't you kicking me out yet?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Because I think you could still be helpful." Dipper said, finally deciding to just ask Mabel what she wanted to do with the lettuce.  
  
  
  
  
Bill watched him silently. Just as Dipper was reaching for a tomato, Bill grabbed Dipper's wrist, and leaned closed. "Why aren't you looking at me?'  
  
  
  
  
"I'm trying to fix these stuff here, isn't that what you wanted me to do?" Dipper asked, still refusing to look at him.  
  
  
  
  
"Something happened. Something to do with me. Spill." Bill said, bluntly, applying a bit more pressure to Dipper's wrist.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper looked down at the table. Bill used his other hand to reach over, and tilt Dipper's head up. The boy's eyes were a cross between light and dark brown, and usually they looked at him with anger or with derision. Right now though, they looked almost... thoughtful?  
  
  
  
  
"I had a dream." Dipper admitted.  
  
  
  
  
Bill raised an eyebrow. "We just met, Pine Tree."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper flushed, and tried to worm away, but Bill held fast, smirking. "Continue."  
  
  
  
  
"I had a dream, and you were dead." Dipper said, simply.  
  
  
  
  
A flicker of surprise went across BIll's face, before he quickly snuffed it out. "And why are you so affected by it?"  
  
  
  
  
"I don't know." Dipper said, sincerely.  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill thought for a moment. "Well, I have no plans on dying anytime soon, Pine Tree. Keep that in mind, ok?"   
  
  
  
  
And he let go of Dipper's wrist, his other hand reaching over to ruffle Dipper's hair, hoping it would annoy him.  
  
  
  
  
It did. Dipper scowled at him, and continued fixing the items on the table. Bill watched him for a while longer, smiling slightly, before joining him.  
  
\----------------------- #          #           # ---------------------  
  
Mabel stood in the living room, watching the scene in front of her.   
  
  
  
  
Bill and Dipper were arguing about something, with Dipper jabbing his finger at Bill, and Bill laughing loudly.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel rolled her eyes when Bill tried to bite Dipper's finger, and stifled a laugh when Dipper tried to slap Bill again. Bill just dodged, sticking his tongue out at him, further infuriating Dipper.  
  
  
  
  
She smiled. She knew that she couldn't trust Bill, but right now, he was helping Dipper unconsciously.   
  
  
  
  
The twins lived with a small family, and they weren't even a family by blood relations. But they were the only people who had treated the twins as people. In this time of age, twins were either respected, or feared, because it was rare that a person was strong enough to give birth to two magical people. Her mother had given birth to her first, and everyone was satisfied to see that she was a healthy baby. It would have been fine if it was only her, but then her mother had gasped, and soon, Dipper had come out. And he had been born with a constellation on his forehead.   
  
  
  
  
The news had spread quickly, that Mrs. Pines had given birth to two children, one boy, and one girl, which meant that they would have different specialized magic. Everyone worried about what that would mean. Would both of them turn out to be good, and helpful to the community, or would they abuse their magic? A town meeting had been called, and people had to say their opinions. Would they keep the twins, or turn them out?  
  
  
  
  
  
The trial was going badly, with magic still being a new thing to the people. It looked as if the twins were going to be cast out. The twins' mother had held herself firm the whole time, but as the day drew closer to night, she started to waver. Her husband had stood by her side throughout all of this, and the twins, three years old at the time, had known somehow that their mother was scared. Mabel had hugged her mother, never letting her go, and people thought that she was getting strength from her mother, when in fact it was the opposite. Dipper had stood firm, arms crossed, thinking of things that he could possibly say, if things started to go bad.   
  
  
  
  
He had just settled on speaking up, when a stranger came.   
  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry I'm late, I had some stuff to do." The stranger had said, huffing. The man was scruffy, with a fez on his head, and even though it was hot out, he was wearing a complete suit. He had smiled at Mabel's inquisitive glance, and ruffled her hair. To Dipper's stern stare, the man had laughed out loud, and rubbed his head affectionately.  
  
  
  
  
"Don't worry. You're going to be fine." Stan said, smiling.  
  
  
  
  
And somehow, Mabel wasn't exactly sure how, he had convinced the council and the townsfolk for them to stay. But on one condition. They would stay with him. Their mother had cried, but she had understood immediately that they would be safer with him. So, he took them away, with Mabel clinging tightly to his arm, and Dipper holding on to his left hand.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel couldn't stop looking at Grunkle Stan; Dipper couldn't stop looking around him. They were leaving their parents, and they were going with a strange man, who had just saved them.  
  
  
  
  
"What's your name?" Dipper had asked.  
  
  
  
  
The man had blinked. "Stan."   
  
  
  
  
"What's your relation to us?" Dipper demanded.  
  
  
  
  
"Savior, helper, teacher, and great-uncle." Stan had listed.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel had thought hard about that. "So, you're our Grunkle!'  
  
  
  
  
"Mabel, there's no such word as a grunkle." Dipper said, rolling his eyes.   
  
  
  
  
"Sure there is! If I say so, it must be true!" Mabel said, eyes sparkling.  
  
  
  
  
And Grunkle Stan had laughed, and ruffled her head. "Sure kid."   
  
  
  
  
"You're going to protect us, right?" Mabel insisted.   
  
  
  
  
Grunkle Stan blinked, surprised. Then, with a seriousness that Mabel had heard only very, very, rarely, "Of course I will."  
  
  
  
  
And they didn't doubt him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BILLDIP.  
> Mabel is so sweet, someone protect her, please.  
> Damn it all, where's Pacifica? (Well, I know what I'm going to do for the next chapter!)
> 
> EDIT: Dipper being like a wife who doesn't know what to feel when Bill (the husband) comes home. (OnO)


	4. Let's learn how to be "afly" at this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bill practices with the twins, and gets a little bit distracted with Dipper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the third chapter went over well, so here's the fourth one! Thanks so much to everyone who commented, your comments are so sweet and motivating! =D
> 
> Note: "Afly" means "to become expert at"

Bill twirled his fork in between long and slender fingers.

 

He glanced at Dipper, who was currently engaged in an argument with his sister about the lettuce that he had bought. Mabel wanted to put something sparkly on it, and sickeningly sweet sounding- edible glitters, Bill remembered- and Dipper had said something about how he put his foot down on "glitterfying" vegetables that he was going to eat.

 

It was amusing to see them argue like this, especially Dipper, the boy had a habit of being quite stubborn, and it was cute when he even crossed his arms. Bill smiled slightly, before turning his attention back to the fork in his hand.

 

He thought back to when Dipper had told him that he had a dream, and he focused specifically on the way he said it. He sounded as if he had had dreams like those before, and only the subject of those dreams surprised him now. And while Bill was sure that there was more to it than what Dipper was telling him, he knew that the boy had also sounded sincere.

 

Dreams of him dying... he used to have those too. Though, they were more like 'nightmares' to him. He got used to it, of course, and he didn't even think of them as something particularly important, just a daily (or nightly) reminder of the fragile morality of humans.

 

Bill was quickly dragged out of his thoughts by the fact that the room was silent.  
  
  
  
  
He turned his head, and saw both twins glaring at each other.   
  
  
  
  
"What's the problem now?" He asked.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper twitched, and Mabel rolled her eyes. "Dipper-"  
  
  
  
  
"No." Dipper said, cutting her off immediately.  
  
  
  
  
"At least try-" Mabel started again.  
  
  
  
  
"Absolutely not." Dipper said, stubbornly.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel gave him an unimpressed look. "If you don't want to tell him, I will."  
  
  
  
  
"Tell who what?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
At the sound of his voice, Dipper turned around, and aimed his glare at him, while Mabel just shrugged. "It's more of a request, actually.'  
  
  
  
  
"Shoot." Bill said, turning one of his hands into a finger gun, and pointing it at Dipper, then at Mabel.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes, and Mabel smirked. "Well, we were wondering if-"  
  
  
  
  
"It's just her who's wondering." Dipper was quick to correct.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel just grinned, then continued. "I was wondering, and I'm sure Dipper agrees, if you could train us."  
  
  
  
  
"Train you?" Bill asked, surprised. That wasn't what he was expecting. He wasn't even sure what he was expecting to hear, but it was certainly not that.  
  
  
  
  
"Mabel, you don't just ask an outlaw to train you!" Dipper said, frowning.  
  
  
  
  
"What, you want to be my apprentices?" BIll asked, one eyebrow raised.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Yes." "No."  The twins' gave pointed looks to each other.   
  
  
  
  
"Oh-kay. So you don't want to be my apprentices, but you want me to teach you?" BIll asked, slowly.   
  
  
  
  
  
The twins shared another look with each other, with Dipper shrugging, and Mabel nodding. "Yes." They said.  
  
  
  
  
"Huh." Bill said, thinking. He normally didn't accept apprentices. To be fair, he  _had_ tried to accept apprentices before, but since they were always useless at what they did, and they were even _more_ useless at their attempts to kill him, he had quickly disposed of them (and the notion). So he was glad that they didn't want to be his apprentices. But training them for free? That seemed like a little too much...  
  
  
  
  
"Of course, we'll have conditions." Dipper said, thinking.  
  
  
  
  
"Well. Of course." was all Bill could think to say. Damn, Dipper caught on fast.  
  
  
  
  
"Like, I'm pretty good with magic in general, but Mabel wants me to specialize in one specific part. She thinks it will help me if I focus on just one thing, instead of trying to be good at everything." Dipper said, shrugging.   
  
  
  
  
"Huh. Well sure." Bill said, thinking that it would give him a chance to see Dipper's abilities.   
  
  
  
  
"Really? Just like that?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
  
  
  
"What did you expect? A price? Torture? Disinterest?" Bill mocked.  
  
  
  
  
"Blatant refusal, actually." Dipper said, having the grace to look slightly sheepish. "And maybe a request for a deal."  
  
  
  
  
"Obviously I'm not refusing. But a deal sounds interesting. What do you have in mind?" Bill asked.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel shot her brother a pointed look, but he just smiled slightly. "How about, you train us, but if we ever separate, you have to promise that you won't use what you've learned about us, you know, against us?"   
  
  
  
  
Bill blinks. "Do you, like, say that to everyone you meet?"  
  
  
  
  
"Only the ones whose hello's are a slightly scarred knee, and an introduction as a wanted outlaw." Dipper easily replied.   
  
  
  
  
"Wow, I feel so special." Bill said, dryly.   
  
  
  
  
"Girls, girls, you're both pretty." Mabel said, rolling her eyes.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper flushed, and Bill looked mildly horrified.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper quickly recovered, and cleared his throat. "So. Do you have any conditions?"   
  
  
  
  
"Just one." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper raised an eyebrow, but waited for him to continue.   
  
  
  
  
"If we ever separate, promise me that you won't kill me at first sight." Bill said.   
  
  
  
  
"I promise, as long as you do my other condition." Dipper said, nodding.   
  
  
  
  
Bill stuck out his hand. "Deal?"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper shook it. "Deal."  
  
  
  
  
If there were blue sparks and slight shadowy flames flitting across their hands, no one said anything.   
  
  
\---------------------- #              #               # ---------------------  
  
  
"So!" Bill said, clapping his hands together. "Who wants to go first?"  
  
  
  
  
The twins shared a look with each other. They were in a secluded clearing, filled with sparse trees, and crisscrossed with dirt roads. The surface was rocky, and the trees were minimum cover, but Mabel was able to make a force field to cover them.   
  
  
  
  
"Dipper should go first, my magic takes some time to recover." Mabel said, apologetically.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper glanced at her, worried, but Bill just nodded. "Alright. Come on up, Pine Tree, and let's start!"  
  
  
  
  
Mabel excused herself, claiming that she wanted to get something, and left before Dipper could reply.   
  
  
  
  
He moved to stand in front of Bill, shifting slightly on the hard surface. "What do you want me to do?"   
  
  
  
  
"How about a bit of everything?" Bill suggested.  
  
  
  
  
And before Dipper could answer, Bill's hands were suddenly doused in flames.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper didn't have time to dwell on this, because he was distracted by the objects which were currently  _aiming for him at 117 m/s.  
  
  
  
  
_ Blue sparks danced around Dipper's fingers, and he flicked his hand, stopping all of them at once. The objects which were too fast for him to stop, he destroyed, flinging them at the others, or simply blowing them up.   
  
  
  
  
Bill threw tables, chairs, rocks, knives, birds ("What the heck Bill?" Dipper yelped), and Dipper held up through the influx as best as he could.   
  
  
  
  
Quite abruptly, Bill stopped. A chair fell on the floor, a few inches in front of Dipper's feet.   
  
  
  
  
"Huh." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper glared at him. "Do you usually just shoot objects from the get-go?"  
  
  
  
  
"Nope! Just when I want to tire someone out. But you're not even tired." Bill said, looking at Dipper.   
  
  
  
  
"Should I be?" Dipper muttered, still glaring.  
  
  
  
  
"Well,  _technically,_ you should. It wasn't very long, maybe 8 minutes, but most magicians pass out before 5 minutes. Plus, you were using multiple strategies, without concentrating on just one, that alone should have drained you already." Bill said, frowning.   
  
  
  
  
_"_ I practice a lot." Dipper said, shrugging.   
  
  
  
  
Bill stared at him, scrutinizing him. Dipper fidgeted under his stare, and wondered what he was thinking.  
  
  
  
  
"Take your shirt off." Bill finally said.   
  
  
  
  
"What?! No." Dipper said, stubbornly, a slight blush on his face.   
  
  
  
  
"Why not?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.   
  
  
  
  
"I'm not going to strip just because you asked me to." Dipper said, annoyed.  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not even asking you to strip! It's just your shirt, anyway!" Bill protested.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, like that's any better." Dipper retorted.  
  
  
  
  
"If you don't take it off, I'll take it off for you." Bill threatened.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper glared. He wondered if he could somehow set Bill on fire.  
  
  
  
  
"...Fine." Dipper snapped, and in one swift motion, took off his shirt.   
  
  
  
  
Bill whistled appreciatively, ignoring the glare that Dipper sent his way. The boy's body was firm, with prominent muscles, probably because of the "practice" that Dipper said he did. But what really interested him were the tattoos.  
  
  
  
  
He stepped closer. "I didn't think you were the type of person who liked tattoos."  
  
  
  
  
"Some are spells, actually. Protection spells." Dipper said, self-consciously.   
  
  
  
  
There were sentences written in other languages, some being latin. There were lines that intersected, so that in some parts, it looks like he had a map on his shoulder. The boy's lighter skin shone through the black ink, and Bill had an insane urge to run his finger along the lines nearest him.   
  
  
  
  
"And the others?" Bill asked, his attention being caught by the slight ink under the boy's wrist. He gently turned it over, and saw a triangle surrounded by a two circles, the outer one being obviously bigger. He traced it with his finger, noting the way Dipper tensed up.  
  
  
  
  
"...Dreams." Dipper said, glancing down at the triangle.  
  
  
  
  
Bill hummed, thinking that what Dipper just said confirmed the fact that the boy probably had a little bit of dream magic. That, or he encountered someone (or something) that did.   
  
  
  
  
Bill's finger moved up the underside of Dipper's arm, lightly tracing the individual letters in each sentence. He noticed, satisfactorily, that Dipper had relaxed, somewhat. He moved his finger, up, up along his biceps, then upwards, to the hollow art where his neck met his shoulder.   
  
  
  
  
He let it rest there.  
  
  
  
  
"Did you ask me to take off my shirt, just so that you can know that I have protection spells?" Dipper asked, his words suspicious, but his tone light.  
  
  
  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not." Bill said, finger now rubbing the smooth skin.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper tried to snort, but it came out as a breathy gasp. "That's stupid."  
  
  
  
  
"Is it?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow, two fingers tracing triangles on the side of the boy's neck.  
  
  
  
  
"Pretty much." Dipper said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"Mm." Bill said, moving his right hand to cup the side of Dipper's face.  
  
  
  
  
"....What are you doing?" Dipper asked, uneasily.  
  
  
  
  
"Looking at you." Bill said, smirking at the defiance he saw in the boy's chocolate eyes.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper snorted. "There's not much to look at."  
  
  
  
  
"Now, who's lying?" Bill asked, quirking an eyebrow, his smirk arching into a grin.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper frowned, and that small action made Bill move his eyes from Dipper's soft eyes to his firm mouth.   
  
  
  
  
Bill wanted to brush his thumb against it. It always looked like it was either frowning or yawning. He wondered what it looked like when he smiled.   
  
  
  
  
"Bill?" Dipper said, causing Bill to move his gaze upwards to Dipper's eyes.  
  
  
  
  
"Yes, Pine Tree?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"What are you doing?" Dipper asked, uneasily.  
  
  
  
  
"I don't know." Bill said, distracted by the curious look in the boy's eyes.  
  
  
  
  
To be honest, he really didn't know. But that didn't mean that he didn't want to find out what happened next.  
  
  
  
  
He stepped closer, and now their bodies were lightly pressed against each other.  
  
  
  
  
"Bill? Could you, um, could you please move? You're a bit too..." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"Too?' Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"...close. I don't like people being so close." Dipper said, self-consciously.  
  
  
  
  
"Something I should ask about?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"No. At least... not yet." Dipper conceded.  
  
  
  
  
Bill raised an eyebrow, but nodded.  
  
  
  
  
  
A part of him wanted to see just how far he could go.  
  
  
  
  
But one glance at Dipper's uncomfortable expression stopped him.  
  
  
  
  
And he stepped back.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper let out an audible sigh of relief. "Ahh, thanks man."  
  
  
  
  
Bill shook his head, ignoring the slight disappointment he felt, and choosing to smirk instead. "Well, we're not yet done training."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper's eyes widened. "Wait, Bill, no more flying objects!"  
  
  
  
  
Bill's grin widened. "Oh yes Pine Tree."  
  
  
  
  
And Bill's hands were doused in blue fire.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper cursed at every object that came close to seriously injuring him, and Bill laughed maniacally.   
  
  
  
  
They didn't notice the chocolate brown eyes that looked at them, and the way the person's mouth curved into a smile.  
  
  
\----------------- #               #               # ----------------  
  
  
Dipper was sitting on the ground, sweat freely pouring down his back.   
  
  
  
  
Bill had thrown objects with more intensity, and more speed. He also tossed out more comments, like, "Levitate this, Pine Tree!", or "Set this one on fire!", or "Stop the bird from hitting you without using your hands!"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper wondered if he could levitate Bill, and throw him as far as the border. Her couldn't throw him any farther than that.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, it requires a little more effort when you're paying attention to what you're doing, huh?" Bill asked, smirking.  
  
  
  
  
"You're an absolute a-hole Bill." Dipper said, cheeks slightly flushed from the effort he exerted.  
  
  
  
  
Bill practically beamed. "Aww, thanks a lot, kid!"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly, which made Bill's grin turn into a smile that had something akin to fondness in it.  
  
  
  
  
"I'm back! What did I miss?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper startled. "Hey Mabel. You didn't miss much."  
  
  
  
  
"You missed the bird that Pine Tree set on fire. It was delicious." Bill said, and Mabel had no idea if he was serious or joking.  
  
  
  
  
"Where were you?" Dipper asked, ignoring him.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, I was looking around for herbs, and I got a nice amount of them!" Mabel said, gesturing to her sweater pockets, which were lightly bulging.  
  
  
  
  
"Huh. Well, as long as they're not poisonous." Dipper said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"So! Enough about me! What happened with you?" Mabel asked, gesturing at them.  
  
  
  
  
"Pine Tree's pretty good at magic, but when he starts to concentrate on what he's doing, he starts to overthink things." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
"Hmm, well, I expected that much at least." Mabel said, humming.  
  
  
  
  
"It's kind of hard not to overthink when  _someone_ throws objects that go at 120 m/s." Dipper said, glancing at Bill.  
  
  
  
  
"I can throw them faster than that, if you want." Bill said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
  
  
  
"Obviously I don't." Dipper said, trying to glare, but ending up pouting.  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill laughed lightly, and a smile returned to his face.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mabel wanted so badly to squeal at the sight in front of her, but she settled for a wide grin. "Well, aren't we cozy."  
  
  
  
  
"Cozy? As if." Dipper said, snorting.  
  
  
  
  
"I'm wounded, Pine Tree, truly I am." Bill said, pressing his left hand over his heart.  
  
  
  
  
"This?" Dipper said, gesturing to the few feet between them. "This is the opposite of cozy."  
  
  
  
  
"Doesn't have to be!" Bill said, cheerfully, and suddenly Dipper found that he was suddenly being used as a pillow.  
  
  
  
  
"Bill. You're heavy." Dipper said, trying to push him off to the side.  
  
  
  
  
"Excuse me, I am as light as air." Bill said, exaggeratedly.  
  
  
  
  
"Of course you're not, no one is as light as air. Unless they're falling, because then their weight would be equal to the air friction." Dipper said, thoughtfully.  
  
  
  
  
"Neeerd." Bill said, taking off Dipper's cap to playfully ruffle his hair.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper yelped, and tried to get the hat back, but Bill held it out of reach. Dipper grabbed Bill's arm, and tried to grab his cap, but he pulled, just as Bill leaned backwards, and they fell.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper quickly grabbed his hat, and tried to stand up, but Bill's hands shot out and kept him in place, resting lightly on his waist. Up close, Dipper could see the golden freckles that were scattered on Bill's face. His yellow hair falls in front of the tops of his eyes, but Dipper could still see the golden orbs looking at him, mischievously. His mouth is formed into a grin, and his hands were warm.  
  
  
  
  
"Hi." He said, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
  
  
  
"Bill, I want to get up." Dipper said, hands on the ground, on either side of Bill's head.  
  
  
  
  
"No you don't." Bill said, and he started running his hand up and down Dipper's side, while the other one held him in place.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper shivered, and was torn between glaring and purring. Sadly, he did both, and if Bill's smirk was anything to go by, he heard it too.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper flushed, and slapped Bill's wandering hand away. He braces his hands against the ground, and scrambles to get off Bill, ignoring the way his hips brush against Bill's. He stands up, brushes his pants down, and grabs his shirt, quickly pulling it on, before reaching out a hand to Bill.  
  
  
  
  
Bill takes it, and easily swings himself upright. He stands there, smiling at Dipper, and Dipper ignores the way his stomach coils in on itself.   
  
  
  
  
"Cozy." Mabel said, grinning, and shooting a finger gun at Dipper.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper groaned.   
  
  
  
  
"Hey, Shooting Star, it's your turn." Bill said, tearing his gaze away from Dipper for a minute.  
  
  
  
  
"No throwing object at me, ok?" Mabel said.  
  
  
  
  
"Don't worry, I'll only do it to Pine Tree." Bill assured her, which made Dipper glare at him even more.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel laughed, and they started their practice, Dipper sitting down on a tree stump, and watching them.  
  
  
  
  
Bill asked her what she was good at. "I'm pretty good at imagining stuff. Oh, and healing magic."  
  
  
  
  
"Can you think up examples for me?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel nodded, and Dipper watched as she closed her eyes. She conjured up glitter bottles, paper, glue guns, and plants.   
  
  
  
  
Bill fingered the plant, noting how it felt firm and real. "So, not illusions."  
  
  
  
  
"Nope. They're real." Mabel said, smiling slightly.  
  
  
  
  
"Huh." Bill said, looking interested. "How long does this last?"  
  
  
  
  
"If I focus hard enough, they don't fade away. It takes less than 15 minutes for them to fade away." Mabel said, grabbing a coloring pen, and drawing a smiley face on her palm.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh. I guess that's good, because I was wondering what we're going to do with all this stuff." Bill said, grinning.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel laughed, and Dipper smiled.  
  
  
  
  
Soon, there was glitter everywhere, and Bill's clothes were dusted with light yellow and green sparkles. Dipper was safe from the influx of glitter, and he grinned as he saw the way Bill quickly brushed off all the glitter. Soon, all the glitter  
  
  
  
  
They practiced a bit more, with Mabel conjuring more stuff. Dipper couldn't hold back a laugh when a kitten appeared, and leaped at BIll's arms, scratching at them. Bill glared at him, and threw the kitten at him. Dipper managed to catch it, but some of it's fur tickled his nose, causing him to sneeze.  
  
  
  
  
Bill smirked. "Aww, Pine Tree, maybe we can keep the cat."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper glared at him, then stared at the fuzzball in his hands. It was grey, with green eyes, and it was mewling softly, rubbing against his hands.  
  
  
  
  
His gaze softened, and he gently rubbed the cat under it's chin. It responded positively, mewling again.  
  
  
  
  
Bill stared at the scene in front of him, a soft smile on his face, before Mabel conjured up something else.  
  
  
  
  
This time, it was a paper airplane, with the words, "READ ME."  
  
  
  
  
Bill snorted, then opened it carefully.   
  
  
  
  
YOU'VE GOT IT BAD, was written in pink glitter pen.  
  
  
  
  
Bill turned his head to see Mabel grinning.   
  
  
  
  
Bill shook his head. "All my eye."  
  
  
  
  
Mabel just winked at him, gesturing at Dipper.  
  
  
  
  
Bill looked at him, and his eyes widened, before he burst out laughing.  
  
  
  
  
  
The kitten was resting in Dipper's hat, which was lying on his lap. Dipper's hair was falling in messy waves, and he was pouting again, but he was stroking the cat softly.   
  
  
  
  
His look was so soft that Bill felt slightly jealous of the cat. 

  
  
  
  
"Huh." Bill said, pausing, and giving an odd look at Dipper.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel threw him a questioning glance, but quickly remembered the look on other people's faces.   
  
  
  
  
And she knew exactly what kind of people those were.  
  
  
  
  
She couldn't stop herself from giggling. "Yup, you've definitely got it bad." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually didn't plan that, what the heck.  
> I'm sorry, Bill's way too gay in this chapter, he can't control himself.
> 
> Me: *glares at Bill  
> Bill: Hey, not my fault that Pine Tree can resist me! I'm sulking here!  
> Dipper: *rolls his eyes
> 
> NOTES:  
> 1\. "All my eye" means something that is untrue.  
> 2\. Bill is gay  
> 3\. Dipper is stubborn  
> 4\. Mabel knows stuff  
> 5\. Pacifica isn't actually in this chapter, and for that, I am deeply sorry, but I needed to have a bit more stuff happen before she comes in. Expect her in 1-3 chapters.  
> 6\. This is slightly shorter than the other chapters, but I didn't want to force everything together in this chapter. I'll try to write the next chapter with 4,000-5,000 words.  
>  
> 
> Technically, this was more tension than anything else, so I'm pretty sure the rating's still fine, but if you have any complaints, or comments, I'd like to hear them. =]


	5. Let's "argy" about whether or not I should kill you, shall we?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel has a few fears, and Dipper tries his best to ease them. (Bill makes another deal)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so hey, here's the next chapter! It's mostly the Mystery Twins shenanigans, and BillDip, but is Bill really all he seems? And what's up with Mabel?
> 
> (Dipper is very stubborn.)
> 
> Notes:  
> 1\. "Argy" means "to argue"  
> 2\. The title looks like that, but it's fluffier than I intended, I'm sorry  
> 3\. Mabel's on the roof. (Literally)
> 
> Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter, it was really sweet! =]

Dipper was in the living room, stroking the cat, who was still in his cap, and thinking.  
  
  
  
  
On the way back, Bill had excused himself yet again, saying that he had somewhere to go. Dipper asked him where, but Bill just shrugged, seemingly not keen on answering him. Mabel, meanwhile, had only nodded, and dragged Dipper away, saying that they had to go and rest.

  
  
  
When they reached the house, Mabel had quickly sat down on one of the available chairs, claiming that she was going to knit a sweater, and urging Dipper to fall asleep. He must have, because when he woke up, she was gone, and there were shadows on the walls. Night was falling, and Dipper was getting a bit worried.

  
  
  
"Mabel?" He called, softly.

  
  
  
"Here, bro-bro!" Mabel's voice called.

  
  
  
Dipper furrowed his eyebrows. Was she on the roof? He didn't even know if McGuckett's place had a roof.

  
  
  
Then he ran outside, staring up at Mabel, who was most definitely on the roof, and currently waving at him.

  
  
  
"Mabel, I'm pretty sure that isn't safe!" Dipper called up, worry creeping into his voice.

  
  
  
"Pssh, no more dangerous than training with an outlaw, eh?" Mabel called back, grinning.

  
  
  
"Mabel, I could probably stop Bill from hurting you, but I'm not really sure I can stop gravity." Dipper said, peering up at her.

  
  
  
  
"Aww, don't worry Dip-Dot, your big sister can take care of herself!" Mabel said, grinning. "Now, are you going to come up, or what?"

  
  
  
"What happens if we both fall down?" Dipper asked, already locating the small fire escape attached to the side, and scaling it.

  
  
  
"Well then, I hope we go down together!" Mabel said, cheerfully.

  
  
  
"I don't know if that sentence makes you a sap, or not. Should I be worried?" Dipper asked, finally coming up on to the roof with her.

  
  
  
"Definitely a sap." Mabel said, patting the space beside her.

  
  
  
Dipper sighed, but sat down beside her anyway.  
  
  
  
  
There was silence, but it was a soft kind, a good kind. Dipper couldn't remember the last time they sat down like this, just to relax.  
  
  
  
  
"So, what's up?" He asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Nothing's up." Mabel said, a little too quickly.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper frowned at her. "Mabel-"  
  
  
  
  
"It's not important." Mabel insisted.  
  
  
  
  
"You're my sister, of course it's important." Dipper said. "Except if it has anything to do with boys or sparkles."  
  
  
  
  
"Just because you don't approve of my boyfriends, doesn't mean you can't approve of sparkles!" Mabel declared.  
  
  
  
  
"...That made absolutely no sense. Like, at all." Dipper said, staring blankly at her.  
  
  
  
  
"Ugh, you're no fun." Mabel complained.  
  
  
  
  
"Mabel, your "boyfriends" weren't even completely human, and most of them were jerks." Dipper said, bluntly.  
  
  
  
  
"Why must you wound me so?" Mabel protested, hand held over her heart.  
  
  
  
  
"It takes more than that to hurt you." Dipper said, rolling his eyes, but smiling fondly.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel grinned. "You betcha it does!"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper laughed.  
  
  
  
  
"Annnnnnndd...." Mabel said, drawing out the word, a mischievous glint in her eyes, which was making Dipper dread whatever she was going to say next, "Speaking of boys~!  
  
  
  
  
Dipper's eyes widened. "No. Mabel. You are not going there."  
  
  
  
  
"Ohh, yes, Dip-Dot, I most definitely am." Mabel said, grinning. "How's Bill?"   
  
  
  
  
Dipper shot her a look, a slight blush on his face. "Mabel, there's nothing going on between me and Bill."  
  
  
  
  
"Are you suuure?" Mabel asked, winking at him.  
  
  
  
  
"Of course I'm sure! Bill's an outlaw, he probably flirts with everyone he sees." Dipper said, rolling his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
"He hasn't tried to flirt with me." Mabel pointed out.  
  
  
  
  
"That's because I'd kill him if he flirted with you. Plus, I'm pretty sure he's way nicer to you than to me." Dipper replied.  
  
  
  
  
"Geez, bro-bro, I can take care of myself!" Mabel said, punching him on his shoulder.   
  
  
  
  
"Ow!" Dipper exclaimed, rubbing his shoulder.   
  
  
  
  
"Anyways, Bill's been acting pretty normal to me. But bro, he's totally checking you out." Mabel said, winking at him.  
  
  
  
  
"Wow, I feel so much better. My sister's idea of a good boyfriend for me is a wanted outlaw who probably murders on a daily basis, and is a total pervert." Dipper said, dryly.  
  
  
  
  
"You're the one who mentioned boyfriends, bro-bro. Besides, don't be so harsh to judge him. I'm pretty sure he's not all that." Mabel said.  
  
  
  
  
"You're right. He's worse." Dipper deadpanned, then laughed at Mabel's blank look.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel shook her head, and sighed.   
  
  
  
  
Dipper furrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"  
  
  
  
  
"Do you think we'll really be able to get Grunkle Stan back?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Of course we will! We're just going to have to wait a while, make sure the plan will work, and after a few weeks of training, we go get him. Simple as that." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"Alright." Mabel said, still not looking entirely convinced.  
  
  
  
  
"Hey, are you sure that's the only thing that's bothering you?" Dipper asked, worriedly.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, besides thinking about your non-existent love life, yes, that's it." Mabel said.  
  
  
  
  
"Mabel, I don't need a love life, I've got you and Stan! And Wendy and Soos! I don't need anyone else." Dipper said, looking at her in surprise.  
  
  
  
  
"But Dipper, we're your friends! Friends are great, but they're not the ones you go to when you need something more than what they can give you! What if you need a hug, or an assurance that someone's there for you, or just body warmth?" Mabel demanded.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper blinked. "Did you just say 'body warmth'?"  
  
  
  
  
Mabel groaned. "Agh, you know what Dipper, never mind, I'm just going to go and knit a sweater or something."  
  
  
  
  
"Huh? Wait, Mabel, did I say something wrong?" Dipper asked, frantically.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel sighed, then smiled. "Dipper, you're an amazing brother, but you're really dorky sometimes. No, you didn't say anything wrong."  
  
  
  
  
And she left it at that.   
  
\---------------------   #                #               # -----------------  
  
  
Bill opened the door, shrugging off his coat, and laying it on the couch.   
  
  
  
  
"Nice blob of cloth you have there, Shooting Star." He idly commented.  
  
  
  
  
"It's a sweater, Bill." Mabel said, without looking up from her work.  
  
  
  
  
"I see." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
"Should I ask where you went, or should I assume that it's none of my business?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
"You can ask, but you're correct in assuming that it's none of your business." Bill said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"Ouch." Mabel joked, which earned a slight smile from Bill.  
  
  
  
  
"So. Are you hungry?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Not really." Bill said, which was the truth.   
  
  
  
  
"Alright. That's good, since Dipper hasn't made dinner yet." Mabel said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill made a soft noise of acknowledgement. "Ok."  
  
  
  
  
"Hey, Bill? If you have any problems, talk to me, ok?" Mabel suddenly said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill blinked. "Why would I have problems? And why would I share them with you?" His words were harsh, but his tone was wondering, so Mabel just laughed.   
  
  
  
  
"Well technically, you  _could_ ignore me, or just talk to Dipper, but I'm pretty sure that you'd prefer talking to me about problems concerning him." Mabel said, a twinkle of mirth in her eye.  
  
  
  
  
"How do you know I have problems about him?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Pssh, you're talking to the expert of love here!" Mabel said, stopping her work for a moment to gesture at herself.  
  
  
  
  
Bill raised one eyebrow. "Really now?"  
  
  
  
  
"Yup! And that's why I can tell that you're an outlaw who's running from love." Mabel said, winking.  
  
  
  
  
Bill snorted. "I hardly think that can count as 'love', Shooting Star. Maybe morbid fascination, or something."  
  
  
  
  
"Admitting there's something there is just the first step!" Mabel declared.  
  
  
  
  
"Shooting Star, are you sure you're not just a little bit too desperate? I'm pretty sure I'm not the best choice for your brother." Bill said, frowning.  
  
  
  
  
"Pssh, that's what he says too! And that's why I'm determined to prove you both wrong!" Mabel said.  
  
  
  
  
"Good to know that Pine Tree has a sense of self-preservation, then." Bill said, amused.  
  
  
  
  
"It's more of a habit of extreme caution, but eh." Mabel said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"Suits him." Bill said, smirking.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel smirked back. "If you're looking for him, he's on the roof."  
  
  
  
  
"Should I ask why he's up there?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Ask him yourself~!" Mabel teased.  
  
  
  
  
Bill shook his head, amused, and waved, before going back out the door.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel watched him go, thoughts streaming through her head again, with only the sounds of the needles clicking together to fill the silence.  
  
  
\-------------------  #            #           #   --------------- --  
  
  
Sure enough, Bill found Dipper muttering to himself, nose scrunched up, hands fidgeting, and legs swinging back and forth.  
  
  
  
  
"Heya!" Bill said, waving from his spot on the top of the fire escape.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper let out a startled yelp that sounded like a combination of a meow and a squeak. Bill couldn't help it; he laughed.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper glared at him, and made no point to move, even as Bill nudged his knee away, which ended up to both of them sitting way closer than he liked.  
  
  
  
  
"So." Bill began.  
  
  
  
  
"So." Dipper replied.  
  
  
  
  
"How you feeling?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Sore." Dipper didn't hesitate.  
  
  
  
  
Bill barked out a hoarse laugh. "Under different circumstances, that would sound hilarious."  
  
  
  
  
"Pain isn't hilarious. It freaking hurts." Dipper said, frowning.  
  
  
  
  
"Pain is hilarious when it happens to anyone else." Bill replied.  
  
  
  
  
"Wow, that's really selfless of you." Dipper said, dryly.  
  
  
  
  
"Kid, weren't you the one who's suspicious of me? I'm pretty sure me being selfish isn't anything new." Bill pointed out.  
  
  
  
  
"Doesn't mean I have to accept it." Dipper shot back.  
  
  
  
  
"Accept that I'm a selfish bastard, or just accept that I said something truthful?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Both." Dipper said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"Geez kid, are you always this hostile to people?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Like you're any better." Dipper said, glaring at him.  
  
  
  
  
"Kid, you know nothing of what I've been through." Bill said, annoyed.  
  
  
  
  
"Same goes for me." Dipper countered.  
  
  
  
  
Bill almost growled at how stubborn the kid was being, but kept it in check. "And I have no intention of knowing."  
  
  
  
  
"Good, because I wasn't planning on asking!" Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill just rolled his eyes, and laid down on the roof. "Lie down or something."  
  
  
  
  
"Why?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Geez kid, does everything I do have to have a reason?" Bill asked, annoyed.  
  
  
  
  
"Everything has a reason." Dipper said, stubbornly.  
  
  
  
  
"Sometimes they don't. Sometimes you just have to trust in the unknown, because logic will never be able to help you understand the feelings of religious people, why they allow themselves to bow down and trust in invisible gods, or in singular terms, a God. It won't help you understand the feelings of a person in love, why, even if they know that their situation will end up badly, still persist in continuing whatever they have. It won't help you understand why people feel so much and so little at the same time. Logic is really overrated, kid." Bill idly commented.  
  
  
  
  
"How else would we know why there are stars in the sky, or why the sky is blue? Why we have a moon, and why the sun is hot? Why people were born, and why the earth is an oblate spheroid? Why grass is green, and why people get sick? Paper was invented by the Egyptians, Greek astronomers looked at the stars and found constellations, people invented medicine for the common flu. There's a reason and a solution for every problem, and finding it out is what makes it so interesting." Dipper replied, hands gesturing wildly.  
  
  
  
  
"But that's the thing. Sometimes logic isn't the answer. Trust doesn't require logic. You trust your sister, don't you?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"I trust her not to do things that I absolutely hate." Dipper mused.  
  
  
  
  
"Fair enough." Bill said, shrugging. "And I'm sure you trust that old man who let us in his house."  
  
  
  
  
"McGuckett? Yeah, sure." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill grinned. "See? Trust."  
  
  
  
  
For a minute, Dipper just stared at him. "You sound like my sister, but with less unrelated comments of sparkles and world peace."  
  
  
  
  
"Meh, world peace isn't really my style." Bill said, shrugging.  
  
  
  
  
"You're more of the 'chaos and destruction' type, huh?" Dipper asked, cracking a smile.  
  
  
  
  
"Ooh, definitely. Fits me much better, don't you think?" Bill teased.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes, but smirked. "Maybe."  
  
  
  
  
"Glad to see that we agree on something, Pine Tree. Now lie down already." Bill said, tugging lightly on Dipper's wrist.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, and lied down on the roof.  
  
  
  
  
Bill let go of Dipper's wrist, and smiled slightly. "There. Nothing bad happened."  
  
  
  
  
"I could be stuck to the roof. Either by magic or really strong glue." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill snorted. "Not today, kid."  
  
  
  
  
"So, does that mean that you're planning to do it some other day?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Probably." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
"A little warning would be nice?" Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"Hmm, nope." Bill said, grinning again.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper just huffed and elected to stay quiet, looking up at the stars.  
  
  
  
  
After what seemed like a while, Bill broke the silence. "Hey."  
  
  
  
  
"Yeah?" Dipper asked, voice soft.  
  
  
  
  
"I've been thinking." Bill began.  
  
  
  
  
"Is that the kind of thinking where you ponder the mysteries of the universe, or the kind of thinking where you think about random stuff?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
Bill let out a sharp and surprised laugh. "The latter."  
  
  
  
  
"Ok." Dipper said, and waited for him to continue.  
  
  
  
  
"How did your powers develop?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper was silent for a while. "They just did. I woke up one day and I was too tired to get up. The next thing I know, I'm already at the other side of the room. I gave Mabel a heart attack that day."  
  
  
  
  
Bill snorted. "So you just woke up and suddenly you had teleportation skills?"  
  
  
  
  
"You're the one asking me. I'm telling the truth." Dipper said, tensing up.  
  
  
  
  
"Sorry, sorry." Bill said, waving his hand. "Continue."  
  
  
  
  
"There's nothing much to tell. When I explained to Mabel why I was on the other side of the room, she immediately tried it out. It worked." Dipper said, smiling fondly as he remembered his sister's loud squeals of, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, now I'll never have to walk anymore!"  
  
  
  
  
"Interesting." Bill mused.  
  
  
  
  
"Why? What was your first magical skill?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"That's a secret." Bill said, flashing a smirk at him.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper frowned, then let out an annoyed huff. "Why do I even bother."  
  
  
  
  
"Isn't that just the most appropriate question for the whole human race and life itself?" Bill idly asked.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper, against his better judgement, laughed. "Oh damn, don't let Mabel hear you, she'd give you a hundred reasons why people should bother."  
  
  
  
  
Bill smiled. "Really? And you won't?'  
  
  
  
  
"I think one reason is enough." Dipper said, a small smile tugging on the corner of his lip.  
  
  
  
  
"Shoot." Bill said, cocking a finger gun.  
  
  
  
  
"Humans bother because they care too much." Dipper said, simply.  
  
  
  
  
"Yeah?" Bill prompted.  
  
  
  
  
"Yeah. There's familial caring, social caring, and just... caring. In general." Dipper said, thinking.  
  
  
  
  
"Hmm." Bill said, turning his head to stare at the boy.  
  
  
  
  
"What?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"You answered that in a very straightforward manner." Bill said. "And you left the sentence so that I could add what I thought if I wanted to."  
  
  
  
  
"Of course. I don't like to be the only one talking, or giving my opinion in a conversation. That would make me feel stupid." Dipper said, the corner of his lip twitching.  
  
  
  
  
"You must really hate those quintessential people, huh?" Bill asked, smirking.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, they  _do_ have this habit of always trying to be right, even if they're wrong, so maybe strong dislike is better?" Dipper said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
  
  
  
"Pfft admit it, half of the words they say aren't even original." Bill said, snickering.  
  
  
  
  
"Do you believe that we were born without an original thought in our heads?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"The only original thoughts are the intelligent ones nobody understands." Bill remarked.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper's eyes widened slightly, and he laughed. "I think I told that to Mabel once."  
  
  
  
  
"Dang, and here I thought I'd actually surprised you." Bill said, rolling his eyes playfully.  
  
  
  
  
"You did. I didn't know that anyone else knew that quote." Dipper said, almost shyly.  
  
  
  
  
Bill almost wanted to ruffle Dipper's hair, but held himself back. "Well, here's someone who does!"  
  
  
  
  
"Didn't think of you as the quoting type." Dipper remarked.  
  
  
  
  
"Why's that?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"You seemed like someone who didn't care about what other think." Dipper said, reddening slightly.  
  
  
  
  
"Well I don't! Except if they're interesting! Like you!" Bill said, grinning.  
  
  
  
  
"You think I'm interesting?" Dipper asked, genuinely surprised.  
  
  
  
  
"Pfft, of course kid! Why do you think I've stuck around this long?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"So you're not going to kill me?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Kid, you're way too paranoid sometimes." Bill commented, but he cracked a smile.  
  
  
  
  
"It's in my nature to be paranoid." Dipper retorted.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, to answer your question, I don't really have a reason to kill you right now." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
"That's good. I'll try to keep it that way." Dipper replied, rolling his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
Bill blinked, then raised himself on his elbow to stare at Dipper. "What if you can't?"  
  
  
  
  
"Can't find a reason for you not to kill me?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
Bill nodded.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, I'll leave you alone then." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill quirked an eyebrow. " _You'll_ leave  _me?"  
  
  
  
  
_ "Yeah. I'm not going to tell me that you can kill me if I can't find a reason. Just leaving would be better." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"Hmm. Interesting." Bill said, grinning.  
  
  
  
  
"But, if I can find reasons for you not to kill me, then you have to promise that if we ever separate, you won't kill us." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill rolled his eyes. "Geez kid, we established that in our training rules. Think of something else."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper glared at him. "What if I don't want to?"  
  
  
  
  
"Then i'll think for you." Bill said, showing his teeth while grinning. "I've got a good one."  
  
  
  
  
"What?" Dipper asked, genuinely curious.   
  
  
  
  
Bill scooted closer, so that his next words were practically whispered in Dipper's ear. "If you can't find reasons for me not to kill you, then I get to ask something of you."  
  
  
  
  
"Like?" Dipper asked, and they were so close that his breath hit Bill's cheek.  
  
  
  
  
"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Bill said, winking at him.  
  
  
  
  
"Nothing harmful." Dipper said, frowning.  
  
  
  
  
"Sure, there are lots of things I can think of that aren't harmful in the least!" Bill said, smiling dangerously.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper shivered. "When should I give reasons?"  
  
  
  
  
"When I ask you. Which means, when the mood hits me." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper narrowed his eye at him, but nodded. "Alright."  
  
  
  
  
Bill held out his hand. "Deal?"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper bit his bottom lip lightly, before grabbing it, and shaking it.  
  
  
  
  
Bill noticed the blue sparks that danced around their intertwined hands again. He made a mental note to check up on it some other time, and focused on the warmth exuding from Dipper's hand.  
  
  
  
  
He glanced up, and saw Dipper looking at him, confused. He cocked an eyebrow questioningly, and Dipper shook his head, a slight dusting of red on his cheeks.   
  
  
  
  
Bill smiled, and opened his mouth to say something when-  
  
  
  
  
"DIPPER, I'M HUNGRY, COME DOWN RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH BILL LATER." Mabel called.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper's curious look turned horrified. "Mabel, we're not doing anything!"  
  
  
  
  
"Yet!" Bill called.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper glared at him, and Mabel simply laughed. "Not funny Bill."  
  
  
  
  
"Never said it was meant to be." Bill said, smirking.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper blushed, and quickly pulled his hand away, practically running down the fire escape. "I'm going to go prepare dinner now, come when I'm done, thanks, bye!"  
  
  
  
  
Bill watched as Dipper stumbled on the ground, before opening the door, and dashing inside. He laughed. The boy was interesting, all right.  
  
  
  
  
He glanced down at his hand, marveling at the blue sparks that winked continuously in and out of existence. Whenever he made deals, there was never any sparks that remained. Sometimes there were marks, sometimes there was a bit of heat, but the sparks was something new. He wondered what it could mean.  
  
  
  
  
Bill startled slightly when he heard Mabel shout, "LOVE IS FOOD FOR THE SOUL."   
  
  
  
  
He shook his head, and snickered when he heard Dipper shout, "That doesn't even make sense!"  
  
  
  
  
Ah, these kids really didn't know what they were doing. They didn't know who they were dealing with.  
  
  
  
  
Bill's golden eyes flashed once, and his grin sharpened. But it would be such a shame to leave, they were much too interesting.   
  
  
  
  
He sincerely hoped that Dipper would be able to think up reasons for him to stay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “The only original thoughts are the intelligent ones nobody understands.”   
> ― Yecenia Nevarez-Aragon (The quote that Bill said)
> 
> I have absolutely no idea when the angst comes in, or when Bill will stop being an ass, or when Pacifica will come in, but I hope you guys will stay until then? Hopefully? (I'm torn between writing BillDip fluff, and writing angst, but you know, all good things come to those who wait, so this chapter is still fluffy)


	6. Do things really resolve themselves "abisselfa?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper has dreams, and Bill has a few ways of dealing with a tired Pine Tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dipper's dreams are always going to be present tense, and everything else is in past tense. =]
> 
> (Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter, I really appreciate your opinions! They're always really fun to read! =] )
> 
> "Abisselfa" means "By itself."

_It's dark._  
  
  
  
  
_People are laughing, and Dipper's lost._  
  
  
  
  
_Where is he?_  
  
  
  
  
_There are people all around him, and their bodies are so close, too close, and he can't breathe._  
  
  
  
  
_Why was he here?_  
  
  
  
  
_Someone bumps into him, and Dipper gasps._  
  
  
  
  
_"S-sorry." He stutters._  
  
  
  
  
_The person merely walks away, leaving Dipper wishing that he hadn't spoken at all._  
  
  
  
  
_He wants to get out of this place, he doesn't even know what's happening._  
  
  
  
  
_He feels like there's something he has to do, but he can't remember what._  
  
  
  
_Where is he?_  
  
  
  
  
_What is this place?_  
  
  
  
  
_Whenever Dipper tries to turn, bodies block him at every turn._  
  
  
  
  
_The place's ceiling sags, and specks of gravel come down on top of his head. The wallpaper crumbles, and the floor doesn't feel all that sturdy either, because whenever he takes a step, wooden floorboards creak._  
_  
  
  
  
But wait. If he squints, he can see the faint outline of a door. He quickly goes to it, wanting to avoid being crushed by the crowd. _  
  
  
  
  
_As he enters, the room is still dark, but he thinks he can see people clustered around a table, a light bulb flickering in and out, it's light too dim to show him what the people look like, or what the room looks like._  
  
  
  
_They start to talk._  
  
  
  
  
_"Did you hear-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-I think I heard something about someone being-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-locked up? Held for ransom?"_  
  
  
  
  
_"I heard stories about magic-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-a different kind of magic, they say-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Like, really powerful, and that's why-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-can't trust anyone with power, I think-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"But what about-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-dangerous methods he has-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Who has?"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Why, the mayor of course!"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Shush, you can't let anyone hear-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"No one's here to hear-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Really? The mayor? I heard he has a habit of-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-making deals, they say."_  
  
  
  
  
_"Maybe that's why he's so-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Why are we even talking about this, we could get caught-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"You worry too much. It's going to be fine-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-but what about the kids?"_  
  
  
  
  
_"They'll be fine. They're strong."_  
  
  
  
  
_"But what if the mayor comes after us?"_  
  
  
  
  
_"I'm sure he won't-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"He could-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"I won't let him-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"We can't help them if we don't know why the mayor-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"-the mayor will hunt us all down-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"Trouble is brewing, I can feel it-"_  
  
  
  
  
_"We're going to be fine." Someone says with a firm voice, and the rest of the people become quiet._  
  
  
  
  
_The voice starts whispering, and Dipper strains to hear whatever is being said, when-_  
  
  
  
  
(Flash)  
  
  
  
  
_He's standing in front of the sea.  
  
  
  
  
__The waves crash against the shore, and some flecks of sand swirl away. He vaguely feels like he should be afraid, but he quickly quells it.  
  
  
  
  
__Footsteps sound.  
  
  
  
  
__A man's voice. "Are you alright?"  
  
  
  
  
__He really doesn't want to listen to him right now. "Fine." He says, casually.  
  
  
  
  
__Even if he doesn't turn around, he knows that the man isn't convinced. "You can tell me if something's wrong, you know."  
  
  
  
  
__How can I, when_ you're  _the one who's causing it?  
  
  
  
  
__"I'll keep that in mind." He says, instead.  
  
  
  
  
__And silence falls between the two of them, and the waves swirl ever harder.  
  
  
  
  
_ (Flash)  
  
  
  
  
_He's running from something, and he doesn't know what it is.  
  
  
  
  
__He doesn't even know if it's a monster, or just another figment of his imagination, something that just isn't_ there.  
  
  
  
  
_He wonders though, if this was an illusion, why is his heart pumping so fast then?  
  
  
  
  
Why are his palms sweating, and why is there a voice in his head that screams for him to turn back, turn back, he forgot something, something important, he needs to turn back-  
  
  
  
  
But the monster's there, so he can't turn around, and surely whatever he left will be there when he returns?  
  
  
  
  
The voice in his head is starting to annoy him, why won't it just shut up, shut up, SHUT UP-  
  
  
  
  
_ (Flash)  
  
  
  
  
_It's quiet right now, and the ground is soft.  
  
  
  
  
__Moonlight shines through the thick canopy of trees, and the insects make comforting sounds in the night.  
  
  
  
  
__He's looking for something, he doesn't know what it is, but he just has a feeling that it's near.  
  
  
  
  
__Maybe there's a secret lever?  
  
  
  
  
__Where would he hide it?  
  
  
  
  
__Somewhere mysterious, maybe. Somewhere near, and somewhere only he would know about.  
  
  
  
  
__Who knows, maybe he's standing on it.  
  
  
  
  
__His hiding place.  
  
  
  
  
_ (Flash)  
  
  
  
  
_He has something planned.  
  
  
  
  
__It's going to be a long shot, but he's good at taking risks.  
  
  
  
  
__He just has to make sure that everything's fine, and that no one suspects what he's going to do.  
  
  
  
  
__This is to protect_ them  _after all.  
  
  
  
  
__His fingers brush across a framed photograph, at two kids smiling.  
  
  
  
  
__To protect his kids.  
  
  
  
  
_ (Flash)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
\-------------------- #                  #                   # ------------------  
  
  
  
Dipper sat up so fast, he was surprised that he didn't break anything.  
  
  
  
  
There was a blanket over him, and he was on the floor. Moonlight slipped through little holes in the walls, and the roof was cracked in some places.  
  
  
  
  
He was in McGuckett's house. He was ok. He just had dreams again.  
  
  
  
  
He did a few breathing exercises, and waited for his pulse to calm down.  
  
  
  
  
Unfortunately, it didn't, because his nerves were still shot, and adrenaline was pumping through him.  
  
  
  
  
What was that? What did he just dream about?  
  
  
  
  
Why were there people talking about the mayor? It probably wasn't Preston, but he had this strong feeling that it was. And if it was him, what kind of deals did he make?  
  
  
  
  
Is that why Pacifica always seemed nervous lately? And she kept glancing at him, like she wanted to tell him something, but couldn't?  
  
  
  
  
When he was a kid, he used to hate Pacifica, because she was always picking on Mabel. Sure, his sister was silly, but there was nothing wrong with it! Glitters and sparkles never hurt anybody, unless when they got into his eyes or mouth.  
  
  
  
  
She and Mabel had a bit of rivalry for a while, until one day, Pacifica challenged Mabel to a horse racing contest.   
  
  
  
  
  
\--------------- #            #                 # -------------  
  
  
  
  
Mabel was all for it, and Pacifica made sure to make it difficult by having the competition at night.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper went along to keep an eye on Mabel, and to make sure that Pacifica wouldn't cheat, even bringing along night vision goggles, just to be safe.  
  
  
  
  
After a few laps, it was clear that there was something wrong. Pacifica's horse kept swerving to the side, as if to avoid something, even though Dipper could see nothing. Mabel's horse seemed perfectly fine, but soon, she stopped her horse, and started waving frantically at Dipper.  
  
  
  
  
She pointed to Pacifica, and Dipper knew that she wanted him to help her.  
  
  
  
  
"Tell Pacifica she needs to get to get off!" Dipper had shouted.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel nodded, and Dipper could see her shouting something at Pacifica.  
  
  
  
  
Pacifica had only gripped the reins tighter, then just as Mabel was reaching over to help her, jumped off, with a fancy backflip that Dipper suspected was just done to show off.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel had stared for a while, before Dipper shouted at her to get the horse.  
  
  
  
  
She nodded, and dashed after the horse, successfully grabbing it's reins, and calming it down.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper ran to her, grabbing Pacifica's arm to bring her along. She had protested, but Dipper didn't listen.  
  
  
  
  
They stopped beside Mabel, who waved.  
  
  
  
  
"Ok, what's going on?" Pacifica had demanded.  
  
  
  
  
"That's what we're going to find out." Mabel had said, cheerfully.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper had then inspected the horse, finding nothing wrong with it's physical appearance. Then, a glint of something silver caught his eye, and he gently dropped down to his knees to check on the horse's horseshoes.  
  
  
  
  
There, he found the problem.  
  
  
  
  
"Hello!" The horseshoe said.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper yelped (No, he definitely did _not_ sound like a kitten, no matter what Mabel said), and dropped the horseshoe.  
  
  
  
  
It turned out that there were numerous creatures called Lilliputtians who were shaped like horseshoes. They controlled the horses, they explained. And that was why people wasted so much money on bets, because they knew that they were going to win.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper suspected that Grunkle Stan would definitely want one, if he ever started to believe in the supernatural.   
  
  
  
  
Mabel had immediately become friends with the Lilliputtians, but when her horse came nearer, they had hissed, literally hissed, and asked if they could eat her horse.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel, shocked, refused. And the Lilliputtians became angry.  
  
  
  
  
Everything after became a blur, but Dipper remembered telling Mabel and Pacifica to get back on their horses and leave, quickly running in the opposite direction, in the hopes that the Lilliputtians would come after him.  
  
  
  
  
He wasn't disappointed.  
  
  
  
  
Later, huffing, pants and shirt slightly torn, he closed the door to the racing track, the Lilliputtians safely in a hole somewhere, where apparently their home was, the entry way now blocked by a large rock. It was tied down with a few pebbles, and a small glowing sign was on the ground beside the hole.   
  
  
  
  
it was a calming spell, made to ensure that after the Lilliputtians escaped, they wouldn't feel so vengeful.  
  
  
  
  
They had met outside, and Mabel had quickly hugged her brother, while Pacifica just seemed stunned.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper had asked the both of them if they were ok, and they had nodded.  
  
  
  
  
"I think I should go." Pacifica muttered.  
  
  
  
  
"But your dad isn't here yet! Hey, do you want us to drop you off?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
  
"We're just going on horseback?" Pacifica asked, wrinkling her nose.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel visibly deflated.  
  
  
  
  
Seeing this, Dipper frowned. "You do know that you were the one who suggested the competition. Mabel's nice enough to offer to drop you back home."  
  
  
  
  
Pacifica blushed, whether from anger or embarrassment, Dipper wasn't sure. "A-alright. I guess we can all go together."  
  
  
  
  
Mabel had quickly cheered up, and Dipper found himself riding behind her on her horse.  
  
  
  
  
They soon approached the manor, and from the gate alone, Dipper knew that he would never forget it.  
  
  
  
  
"You can go now." Pacifica said, fidgeting.  
  
  
  
  
Mabel, who was gaping at the intricate carvings on the gate, started. "Really?"  
  
  
  
  
"Yeah." Pacifica muttered.  
  
  
  
  
"Ok." Dipper said, who really wanted to go back home.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, I guess I'll see you around! This was fun!" Mabel said, smiling and waving.  
  
  
  
  
Pacifica looked surprised, then quickly made her face neutral. "Um, I feel the same."  
  
  
  
  
Mabel grinned, and quickly urged the horse to go on.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper always knew that Mabel could make any experience fun, even a near death one, but being nice to her rival after a near death experience was something new and so like his sister, that Dipper laughed.  
  
  
  
  
"What is it?" Mabel had asked, confused.  
  
  
  
  
"Nothing." Dipper said, shaking his head, and smiling. "You're amazing, that's all."  
  
  
  
  
"Pfft, I knew that already." Mabel said, quickly lifting one hand to hit him gently on the shoulder.  
  
  
  
  
"And thanks. For coming with me and saving us." Mabel added.  
  
  
  
  
"Sure." Dipper replied, knowing that he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.  
  
  
  
  
As they rode on, Dipper knew that he would have to take down notes on the creatures, if only because they were dangerous.  
  
  
  
  
And he also knew that he should probably look at Mabel's horse later too. He wouldn't want it to become eaten, because then Mabel would be upset.  
  
  
  
  
He told himself that it was just because she would cry and sulk that he was helping her, and not because he genuinely cared about a stinky horse.  
  
  
  
  
\--------------- #            #               # ---------------  
  
  
  
  
So now. What was he going to do?  
  
  
  
  
His dreams felt more personal this time, like they were people who he should know, but couldn't remember.  
  
  
  
  
And, in more than one of them, he felt his Grunkle's presence.   
  
  
  
  
He wondered if he should tell Mabel, then he noticed the body lying down next to one of the holes in the wall.  
  
  
  
  
It was Bill.   
  
  
  
  
  
"You alright Pine Tree?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"F-Fine." Dipper said, wondering how long Bill watched him.  
  
  
  
  
"Bad dream?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Um, sort of." Dipper said, not sure how to explain his dreams.   
  
  
  
  
"Huh." Bill said, and were his eyes  _glowing?  
  
_  
  
  
  
"Bill, why are your eyes glowing?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, I can see in the dark." Bill said, casually.  
  
  
  
  
"Like, naturally, or magically?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
"Magically." Bill said. "Why? Does it bother you?"  
  
  
  
  
"Sort of? You look like a predator." Dipper admitted.  
  
  
  
  
"People have told me that before." Bill said, smirking.  
  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes. "You're making me uncomfortable. Can you stop it?"  
  
  
  
  
"You know some people think my eyes look beautiful when they glow." Bill teased.  
  
  
  
  
"Well I guess they do, but from all the way over here, it looks like you're waiting for me to do something." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"What if I am?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"What are you even doing up?" Dipper asked, quickly changing the subject.  
  
  
  
  
"I couldn't sleep." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
Bill quirked an eyebrow. "That's all you're going to say? You aren't going to nose around, and ask me why?"  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not nosy." Dipper protested weakly.  
  
  
  
  
"Sure you aren't." Bill said, amused.  
  
  
  
  
"And anyway, there are a number of reasons why you couldn't sleep, I don't really know you well enough to guess correctly, or to even try. It's not my business after all, right?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
Bill looked as if he couldn't decide whether to roll his eyes or burst out laughing. "Sure kid."  
  
  
  
  
There was a pause as Dipper yawned, and sleepily rubbed his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
"Need help going back to sleep?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"That would be nice, yeah." Dipper said, not thinking carefully about his words.  
  
  
  
  
Which is why, when he found Bill's face two inches in front of him, it was perfectly normal that he squeaked. Or shouted. Or shouted in a soft and high pitched way.  
  
  
  
  
Bill snickered. "Geez kid, you should shout more often, I didn't think you could make that kind of sound."  
  
  
  
  
"It's a stupid thing." Dipper muttered, frowning.  
  
  
  
  
Bill shook his head. "Nah, it's kind of cute actually."  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not cute. I'm manly as hell." Dipper protested.  
  
  
  
  
Bill smirked. "Sure you are."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper definitely ignored his pointed look, and just sighed. "You said you could help me sleep."  
  
  
  
  
"Oh yeah." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
And Dipper found a pair of warm arms around him, pulling him to an slightly cold chest.  
  
  
  
  
"Are you trying to suffocate me?" Dipper demanded.  
  
  
  
  
Bill shook his head, and the slight movement caused Dipper's hair to move around. "Nah, I need to be touching you for this to work. And, it's pretty cold around here, and you're probably slightly warmer than me, considering that thick blanket."  
  
  
  
  
Guilt flashed through Dipper, remembering how thin Bill's blanket was. "Sorry, I should have asked you if you wanted to trade."  
  
  
  
  
"Nah, it's fine. Besides, this is way cozier." Bill said, resting his head beside Dipper's face, and breathing softly.  
  
  
  
  
"This is weird." Dipper commented.  
  
  
  
  
"I thought you liked weird things." Bill quipped.  
  
  
  
  
"I do, but this is weird on a different level. I haven't slept with anybody since I was a kid, when Mabel and I were still sharing a room." Dipper admitted.  
  
  
  
  
"Really? That's interesting." Bill said, and the way his voice dipped low on the last word made Dipper fidget.  
  
  
  
  
"It's nothing surprising." Dipper muttered.  
  
  
  
  
"Maybe so." Bill said. "It's still something about you."  
  
  
  
  
"We really don't know each other all that well, do we?" Dipper asked.  
  
  
  
  
Bill made a slight humming noise. "Well, I know that you're pretty good at magic, you're very concentrated, you insist on being stubborn, you care a lot about your sister, and you're a real pain in the ass when you want to be."  
  
  
  
  
"Thanks, I try real hard to." Dipper said, sarcastically.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Wait! I'm not finished yet." Bill said, annoyed.  
  
  
  
  
"Seriously?" Dipper asked, but stayed silent anyway.   
  
  
  
  
"Anyway, as I was saying," Bill said, "You love mysteries, you have an interest in anything that's weird, you're very suspicious, but you're very trusting when it comes to people who you know, you have a great sense of humor, you just like to hide it, you're very sarcastic, but quick to apologize, and you're really defiant."  
  
  
  
  
Dipper could just stare. "It feels like you've been watching me for quite some time."  
  
  
  
  
"What can I say? I'm observant." Bill said, trying to pay it off, but Dipper could hear the undertone of pride in his voice.  
  
  
  
  
"I hope you don't expect me to follow that up with things I know about you, because if that's your plan, then you know that I'm probably just going to embarrass myself." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"True." Bill said, humming. "Now start."  
  
  
  
  
"You're an outlaw, you're probably wanted in a few countries, heck maybe even states," (Bill nodded approvingly here), "you stumbled into Gravity Falls, claiming you were being chased by people, you have a weird sense of humor, and you dress really snappily, you have this whole, "Too important to care" aura, yet you do feel stuff, and sometimes you're not a complete asshole. Sometimes you're ok to be around, even if you do like jokes about deer teeth." Dipper said, crinkling his nose.  
  
  
  
  
"Aaw Pine Tree, you really do care!" Bill crooned.  
  
  
  
  
"No I don't." Dipper denied.  
  
  
  
  
Bill laughed. "If you say so."  
  
  
  
  
"You also seem like you've got a lot of magic, and you always seem to know everything, sometimes spouting weird philosophical stuff about the universe and the meaning of existence, and then you go and ask something about why humans don't have tails, way too randomly. You seem really easy going, but you're too partial to anger and you actually get a bit scary when you're mad. But then, you look at me, and you just shrug and smile, returning back to your sort of normal self, and I have no idea what to make of you. You're a real mystery, and I really want to solve you." Dipper admitted.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh? And how do you think you'll go about doing that?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
  
"I'll just continue what I've been doing so far. Talking to you, listening to you, watching you, because I know you're doing the same things, don't even try to pretend that you're not." Dipper replied.  
  
  
  
  
"At least I'm upfront about it, you always send me glances when you think I'm not looking." Bill said, snorting. A thought occurred to him, and he started smirking. "Did you know that Shooting Star noticed it too?"  
  
  
  
  
Dipper's eyes widened, then he proceeded to hide his face, burying it against Bill's chest.  
  
  
  
  
"And do you know what she said?" Bill continued, a grin threatening to spill over.  
  
  
  
  
"Don't want to know." Dipper's muffled voice said.  
  
  
  
  
"Really? It's quite an interesting theory." Bill said.  
  
  
  
  
"Whatever theories Mabel says, it's probably not true." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
  
"I think someone's in denial~!" Bill sang.  
  
  
  
  
"I most definitely am not." Dipper said, stubbornly.  
  
  
  
  
"Stop lying to yourself kid, it's nothing to be embarrassed about." Bill said, sounding amused.  
  
  
  
  
"If you said that, then I'm definitely sure that I'm supposed to be embarrassed." Dipper muttered.  
  
  
  
  
"Want me to knock you out then?" Bill asked, feeling sorry for the kid.  
  
  
  
  
"With magic, please. And make sure it's light, I need to hear if something goes wrong." Dipper murmured.  
  
  
  
  
"Paranoid much?" Bill teased.  
  
  
  
  
"You know it." Dipper said, yawning.  
  
  
  
  
Bill smiled, then quickly recited a sleeping spell, and soon enough, Dipper was asleep.  
  
  
  
  
Bill stared at Dipper for a while, enjoying the fact that the kid was asleep, and that he actually looked nicer in sleep.  
  
  
  
  
His soft brown hair hung down in waves, and his mouth, always twitching when he was awake, softened in sleep. The only thing Bill disliked about Dipper's state was the fact that he couldn't see the boy's brown doe eyes glaring at him.  
  
  
  
  
Bill moved his finger across the kid's cheek, and stared curiously at the blue sparks that played around his fingers.  
  
  
  
  
"You go on and on about me being weird, but if I had any say in this, you're probably just as weird as me. You're a mystery, Dipper Pines. And I'm interested to find out what makes you tick." Bill whispered, returning his hand to rest around Dipper's waist.  
  
  
  
  
Then, he quieted, and lay there, his arms tight around Dipper, listening to the sound of the teen's heartbeat.   
  
  
  
  
He found comfort in such a steady sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it weird how much I enjoy writing Dipper's dreams?
> 
> Lilliputtians, the small golf ball people? Yeah, I made them carnivorous, I'm sorry.
> 
> I probably have a bit of mistakes, but it's already really late here, so I'm just going to look over this in the morning. =] 
> 
> Please comment if you want to talk or rant, I'll be there!


	7. Let's agree to attitudinize about our feelings (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper runs from a past memory and Bill learns how to be humble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME UNTIL NOW BECAUSE OF SCHOOL, I AM SO SO SORRY. 
> 
> HERE. *shoves chapter
> 
> (Attitudinize - To assume an affected attitude.)

"Focus, Pine Tree!" Bill shouted.

 

Dipper grit his teeth. He was currently levitating multiple objects at once, and he was focusing his attention on levitating one more; three tables piled on top of each other. He made the top one move upwards, watching it wobble, and silently willing it not to. When he was relatively sure that it wouldn't fall over, he moved his attention to the next one, willing it to climb on top of the first one. The tables started to get a little heavier, and there was definitely a pull on his magic, but he couldn't stop yet. So, turning his attention to the last table, he moved it to join the other two. The tables wobbled dangerously, but Dipper forced himself to relax his hold slightly, and the tables balanced.

 

"Ok, good, now keep it that way!" Bill called.

 

"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" Dipper asked, annoyed.

 

"Because we need to work on your concentration! You tend to overthink things if you focus too hard, so it's better to just let loose every once in a while!" Bill explained.

 

"That doesn't explain why you're just sitting on a bench that I just levitated 10 minutes ago!" Dipper retorted.

 

"It's fun to make your life complicated." BIll said, shrugging and smirking.

 

"I have half a mind to just dump you on the ground." Dipper threatened.

 

Bill shifted his weight, and crossed his legs. "Suure you would."

 

Dipper shook the table a bit in retaliation, to which Bill merely grinned at.

 

"You can do it, Dipper!" Mabel cheered.

 

"I have no idea how you can even say that." Dipper said, starting to feel a bit tired.  
  
  
  
"Oh shush, you're doing great bro-bro!" Mabel said, who was, at that moment, currently conjuring things to distract Dipper.   
  
  
  
There were pink airplanes flying around him, a couple of sparkly half-shark, half-duck things, and a bunch of problems written on prisms.  
  
  
  
"What's the definition of fundamental?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
"The adjective definition or the noun definition?" Dipper asked, swiftly dodging one of the shark-duck things that came flying a bit too close.  
  
  
  
"Either! Both!" Mabel said, cheerfully.  
  
  
  
"Fundamental. Adjective. Meaning, forming a necessary base or core; of central importance. Fundamental. Noun. Meaning, a central or primary rule or principle on which something is based." Dipper said, sweating slightly.  
  
  
  
"How big is Africa?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
"Africa is 30.2 million km²." Dipper answered.  
  
  
  
"How many oceans are there in the world?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
"Originally, there were 4. The Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. However most countries- including the United States- now recognize the Southern (Antarctic) as the 5th oean." Dipper answered, quickly shifting his focus on a chair that was tilting sideways.  
  
  
  
"What is the language used in Greenland?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
"Greenlandic, an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken by about 57,000 Greenlandic Inuit people." Dipper answered, trying not to flinch as one of the pink airplanes started poking his face.  
  
  
  
"What did you ask me for last night, when you wanted to sleep?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
Dipper's face reddened, and Mabel all but swooned. "Don't make it sound so weird, all I wanted was for you to knock me out."  
  
  
  
"And I delivered." Bill replied, winking at him.  
  
  
  
This time, Mabel squealed, and even more paper airplanes started swarming around Dipper. "Agh, ow, Mabel!"  
  
  
  
"You two are so cute!" She squealed, grinning widely.  
  
  
  
"We are not!" Dipper protested violently, causing some chairs to jerk.  
  
  
  
"That's true. I'm hot as hell, Pine Tree's the adorable one." Bill said, smirking.  
  
  
  
Mabel laughed, and Dipper flushed. "Are you always this full of yourself?"  
  
  
  
Bill grinned, shark like, and opened his mouth.  
  
  
  
Dipper shook his head vehemently. "Please don't answer that. You're going to make a perverted joke, I know it."  
  
  
  
"Busted." Bill sighed dramatically.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry Bill, I'm sure Dipper appreciates you." Mabel said, giggling.  
  
  
  
"Oh he does." Bill said, raising one eyebrow in the direction of Dipper.  
  
  
  
"One more joke, and I swear I will drop you!" Dipper threatened.  
  
  
  
"You can drop me any time you'd like~." Bill couldn't resist saying, giving him double pistols.   
  
  
  
"Gladly." Dipper deadpanned, quickly dropping down the bench that Bill was sitting on.   
  
  
  
"Oomph!" Bill said, and Mabel started laughing hysterically.   
  
  
  
"Oh bro-bro, that was amazing! Do it again!" She said, clapping.  
  
  
  
Dipper mockingly bowed.  
  
  
  
Bill rolled his eyes. "And you say I'm dramatic."  
  
  
  
"That's because you are." Dipper said, straightening up again.  
  
  
  
Bill huffed, then managed a small smile. "Help me up?"  
  
  
  
Dipper shot him a look. "Why do I get the feeling that you're planning something?"  
  
  
  
"Oh well, I tried." Bill said, and suddenly Dipper was leaning towards the ground.   
  
  
  
He started resisting, noticing the blue flames curling around him. "You know, I'd appreciate your magic more if you weren't using it to try to make me fall."  
  
  
  
"Stop resisting." Bill said, annoyed.  
  
  
  
"I'll resist all I want!" Dipper said, stubbornly.  
  
  
  
"Oh, enough is enough!" Mabel said, throwing her hands up.  
  
  
  
Immediately, Dipper found himself with his arms around Bill, and his legs intertwined with him. "MABEL!" He said, his face burning.  
  
  
  
"What?" Mabel asked, trying to look innocent.  
  
  
  
"You used your magic to push us together! Literally!" Dipper accused.  
  
  
  
Bill shrugged. "Hey, I'm not complaining."  
  
  
  
Dipper was about to retort, but then he felt a soft fluttering beneath his fingers. "Is that your pulse?"  
  
  
  
Bill looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Yes?"  
  
  
  
Dipper slowly removed his left hand, and pressed his index finger softly against the part of Bill's neck where he could feel the pulse. "It's beating really fast."  
  
  
  
"I have a guy on top of me, how could it not?" Bill said, smirking at him.  
  
  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes. "It just feels a lot faster than 60-100 beats."  
  
  
  
"I drink a lot of beer?" Bill ventured.  
  
  
  
Dipper shot him a look. "You can't drink while you live with us."  
  
  
  
"I can do whatever I want, kid." Bill returned, furrowing his eyebrows.  
  
  
  
"Bill, this isn't healthy! If you keep on drinking, you'll wind up dead one of these days! And I'd rather you have a natural death than one caused from alcoholic beverages, of all the stupid things." Dipper said, and Bill was taken aback by the anger in the boy's voice.  
  
  
  
"I-" He began, then stopped as Dipper shook his head. "I'm going to take a quick break."  
  
  
  
He watched as Dipper slowly untangled himself and walked away.   
  
  
  
There was an awkward cough, and his head quickly swiveled to Mabel.  
  
  
  
"Drinking... is a sensitive subject for Dipper." Mabel said, carefully.  
  
  
  
"Any reason why?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
"I think I need to leave that up to Dipper to explain." Mabel said, looking at him nervously.   
  
  
  
"Doesn't look like that the kid is in the mood to explain anything." Bill said, looking in the direction where Dipper left.  
  
  
  
"He'll come around." Mabel said, looking as well.  
  
  
  
"I know." Bill said, but even he couldn't disguise the doubt in his voice.   
  
  
  
"If he doesn't come back in 5 minutes, I'm looking for him." Both declared at the same time.   
  
  
  
They glanced at each other, gave unsure grins, then turned their attention back to where they last saw Dipper.  
  
  
  
"When you first saw me..." Bill began, then paused.  
  
  
  
"Yes?" Mabel asked, turning to look at him.  
  
  
  
"The house that was burning, what happened? Was it yours? How did it set on fire?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
"It-" Mabel hesitated. She wasn't sure how much she should say, but she decided that facts were a safe place to start. Dipper always used facts whenever he was unsure. "It was ours, we weren't sure what happened, there was no sign of anything that could have started the fire."  
  
  
  
"Were there any relatives inside?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
"There was. One. Soos was our repairman, but he was like a best friend to both Dipper and I." Mabel said, warily. She thought about mentioning her grunkle, but there was something in her that didn't want to. Maybe it was doubt, or mistrust but whatever the case, Mabel was sure that telling Bill about Grunkle Stan would result in something bad.  
  
  
  
"I see." Bill said.   
  
  
  
"I'm sure they made it out, though." Mabel immediately added, repeating what she had told herself and Dipper a lot of times over the past few days.  
  
  
  
"I'll bet." Bill said, without thinking.  
  
  
  
Mabel froze. "Why do you say that?"  
  
  
  
"Say what?" Bill asked, frowning.  
  
  
  
" 'I'll bet.' Do you know something I don't?" Mabel asked.   
  
  
  
"Why would you think I would know something about that?" Bill asked.  
  
  
  
"You don't say anything just to be casual! There's always usually some double meaning behind your words!" Mabel exclaimed.  
  
  
  
"Shooting Star, you've known me for what, a few days or weeks give or take, and you already think you know how I talk?" Bill said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
  
  
"Yes." Mabel said, unabashedly. "I'm pretty sure Dipper would agree with me too."  
  
  
  
"I can't tell if you're observant or just running on instinct." Bill said, looking at her.  
  
  
  
"Observant. My brother's the one who runs on instinct, usually because he has facts to back him up." Mabel answered.  
  
  
  
"I see." Bill said, and unlike the other time he said this, he sounded genuinely interested.  
  
  
  
"You still didn't answer my question." Mabel accused.  
  
  
  
"That's because I don't have to. I have no other meaning besides what I just said." Bill answered.  
  
  
  
Mabel groaned. "You know, sometimes you sound just like Dipper."  
  
  
  
"Nah, I can't make my voice as squeaky as his." Bill joked.  
  
  
  
In spite of herself, Mabel laughed. "His voice is pretty squeaky."  
  
  
  
"And the way it cracks whenever he's mad! It's hilarious!" Bill said, smirking.  
  
  
  
"Don't let him catch you saying that, he's going to throw a fit!" Mabel warned, but she smiled good naturedly.   
  
  
  
"Will do, Shooting Star." Bill said, giving her a mock salute.  
  
  
  
In her laughter, Mabel missed the small flash of something hidden in Bill's vest pocket.   
  
  
  
It sparkled in the sunlight, and looked just like something metallic and golden.  
  
  
\----------------- #                      #                    # --------------------  
  
  
Whenever Dipper was depressed, he had a habit of going into the forest to cool down.  
  
  
  
It was the same thing he did whenever he was happy, or nervous, or curious, or feeling anything at all really. Usually, when he was in a good mood, he'd explore the forest grounds, and he would usually find a quiet place to write his stories or sketch his surroundings. During his less than good moods, he'd it down on a log and just close his eyes, letting the smell of pine needles and earthy soil surround him.  
  
  
  
Today, he was doing the latter.  
  
  
  
"I know it isn't Bill's fault." Dipper confessed to a nearby squirrel. "But I have the right to get upset, right? Right?"   
  
  
  
The squirrel tilted its head at him. Dipper took it as a cue to go on. "I mean, even if he didn't know about the drinking thing, he could have at least apologized! Oh wait no, this is Bill we're talking about here! Of course he wouldn't have apologized! What was I thinking!"  
  
  
  
The squirrel clicked its teeth together.  
  
  
  
"This is the guy who makes it his personal entertainment to annoy me! I'm sure he's probably laughing at me somewhere! He probably doesn't even care that I'm upset! And why should he care, we've only known each other for a few days or a week at the most! It's a miracle he hasn't left yet- oh wait, HE TRIED TO." Dipper said, remembering the morning he woke up and found out that Bill was gone.  
  
  
  
The squirrel stared at him.  
  
  
  
"Why couldn't we just let him go that time? It's not like he'll actually want to help us rescue our Grunkle, he doesn't even know that we have a Grunkle! All he knows is that our house burned down, and that we're technically seeking shelter and not doing anything at all!" Dipper said, annoyed, waving his hands around. Sparks flew from his fingertips, and the squirrel opened its mouth to catch them, and immediately recoiled.  
  
  
  
"Well, he is teaching us magic." Dipper said, looking at his hand. "And he's probably traveled around a lot, he might know some stuff that can help me and Mabel learn more skills."  
  
  
  
The squirrel looked at him warily, probably wondering if he was going to produce more sparks.  
  
  
  
"All in all, I can probably work with him. But not if he continues drinking." Dipper said, remembering what made him mad in the first place.  
  
  
  
The squirrel moved closer to him, and wrapped its tail around his hand. Dipper smiled, and softly stroked the squirrel's fur with his left index finger. "Who knows? Maybe by now he's forgotten, and I won't have to tell him why I stormed off."  
  
  
  
Dipper sighed, and closed his eyes. He could still see copper red hair, a frown and angry green eyes. He could still hear her voice.  
  
  
  
_Shattered beer bottles. Staring. Pieces of glass all around the floor. Him, torn between his pride and begging her to stay.  
  
  
  
__She, leaving before he gets a chance to do anything.  
  
  
  
__The door closes behind her, and he sinks to the floor.  
  
  
  
__He screams._  
  
  
  
"I miss her." Dipper admitted, quietly.  
  
  
  
The squirrel snuggled up to him, and Dipper tried hard not to cry.  
  
  
\-------------------  #                  #                   #  ---------------------  
  
  
"Ok, I think Pine Tree's had enough time to brood. I'm going to go find him." Bill announced.  
  
  
  
"I'll go with you." Mabel declared.  
  
  
  
"You sure, Shooting Star? He might be angry." Bill said.  
  
  
  
Mabel snorted. "That's exactly why I want to go. He's my brother, I can calm him down."  
  
  
  
"Well, ok then. Come on, let's go find him." Bill said, standing up.  
  
  
  
Mabel leaped up, and walked forward. "I'll lead the way, I can probably sense him with my magic."  
  
  
  
"You can do that?" Bill asked, following her.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, me and Dipper discovered that we could sense each other's magic at a young age. Though, I can only sense him if he's 100-500 miles away. Anything higher than that, and it starts to become fuzzy." Mabel said, looking for Dipper's signature magic lines in her head.  
  
  
  
"Hmm." Bill said, making a sound of acknowledgement. "Hey, what color is Pine Tree's magic?"  
  
  
  
"Huh? Oh, he has yellow magic. Why?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
"I was just wondering." Bill said, glancing at his hand.  
  
  
  
"Wait, whenever you summon objects, your hands become covered in blue flame, right?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
Bill nodded.  
  
  
  
"Are there any reasons why different people have different colors of magic? Dipper told me it has something to do with your area of expertise, and a little bit of your personality thrown in." Mabel said, stepping over a large tree root.  
  
  
  
"Well, the color of your magic represents your ability. Usually healers have yellow magic, which helps the pores of the skin and aids scarred tissue in healing itself, or green magic, which affects blood pressure and all conditions of the heart. Indigo magic is a great purifier of the bloodstream, and violet heals hysteria, delusions, and alcoholic addiction. If you're an aggressive magic user, red and sometimes magenta are the usual colors. For defense, blue is the main color, and so on. Of course, there are 10 million colors, because of the 1,000 levels of light-dark, 100 levels of red-green, and 100 levels of yellow- blue that we can see, so it would take too long to go into all of the details." Bill said.  
  
  
  
"So your magic is defense magic?" Mabel asked.   
  
  
  
"It's primarily used for that, yes." Bill said, making a blue flame appear in his right hand.  
  
  
  
"What does Dipper's color of magic mean?" Mabel asked.  
  
  
  
"Well yellow relates to acquired knowledge. It is the color which resonates with the left or logic side of our brain, stimulating our mental faculties and creating mental agility and perception. It helps with decision making, and it's usually associated with methodical people. So, he can use his magic for situations that involve practical thinking, or quick judgement." Bill said, flexing his fingers.  
  
  
  
"Why-" Mabel began, then she stopped. "Wait."  
  
  
  
"What is it?" Bill asked, stopping behind her.  
  
  
  
"I found him!" Mabel said, quickly running off.  
  
  
  
Bill followed her pace, and soon they reached a small clearing. There were fig trees surrounding them, and there was a log in the center. Dipper was sitting on it, and when he saw them, he waved.  
  
  
  
"Hi." He said.  
  
  
  
Mabel paused, and let out a sigh of relief. "You're ok!"  
  
  
  
Dipper lifted himself off the log with ease. "Here. I found new herbs, both for cooking and healing."  
  
  
  
Mabel ran over to him, and examined the plants in his hand. "Rosemary, thyme, sage, calendula, catnip... these are great! Thanks Dipper!"  
  
  
  
  
"Welcome. Sorry for running off like that." Dipper apologized.  
  
  
  
"As long as you don't do it again." Mabel said, frowning at him.  
  
  
  
"I won't run off unless I find it necessary to do so." Dipper promised.  
  
  
  
"And tell me first before you leave!" Mabel said.  
  
  
  
"Alright." Dipper said, nodding.  
  
  
  
He turned his attention to Bill, who was standing off to the side, trying to seem as if he didn't care about finding Dipper.   
  
  
  
Dipper sighed. "I should probably go over to him and apologize, huh?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, you should." Mabel agreed.  
  
  
  
Slightly reluctantly, Dipper walked over to him. "Hey."  
  
  
  
"Hey." Bill said, glancing at him briefly.  
  
  
  
"I'm not mad anymore. Well, I am kind of pissed, but you always piss me off, so that's ok, I've gotten used to it. Anyway, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for running off." Dipper said, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand.  
  
  
  
"I guess I accept your apology. And um, I'll try to limit my drinking." Bill mumbled.  
  
  
  
Dipper's eyes widened in shock.   
  
  
  
"Or at least do it where you can't see me." Bill added.  
  
  
  
"No more than 21 units of alcohol per week, no more than 4 units every one day, and have at least 2 alcohol free days a week." Dipper said.  
  
  
  
Bill sighed. "Deal." He held out his hand.  
  
  
  
Dipper shook his hand. "Deal."  
  
  
  
Bill retracted his hand, and leaned casually against the tree. "Do I get a reward for following your rules?"  
  
  
  
Dipper looked at him warily. "What kind of reward?"  
  
  
  
Bill shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. But I'll tell you when I've thought of something."  
  
  
  
"Sounds alright." Dipper said, cautiously.  
  
  
  
"Good." Bill said, giving a small smile.  
  
  
  
Dipper found his face warming up, and he gave a small smile back.  
  
  
  
"Oh-kay! Let's head back!" Mabel said, cheerfully, clapping her hands together.  
  
  
  
Dipper ducked his head, and smiled at her. "Let's."  
  
  
  
Mabel led the way, chattering about all the things she was going to do with the herbs, Dipper walked behind her, nodding and offering suggestions and tips every once in a while, and Bill walked at the rear, his arms folded behind his head. Every so often, he'd hear Dipper laugh, and his face would soften. Then he'd change it back to a neutral position, and act bored.  
  
  
  
He couldn't show them that he was interested in Dipper, that wouldn't do.  
  
  
  
That wouldn't do at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already mentioned in my other Gravity Falls fanfic how I was not prepared for the ending of Gravity Falls, and I'm basically just re-watching the episodes all over again, and missing the times when Mabel and Pacifica first became friends, Dipper and Bill's first meeting, Dipper singing along to Baba, and Grunkle Stan punching a pterodactyl. 
> 
> Ah, the good old times. ;-;
> 
> LINKS THAT I USED:  
> https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjNuMuChZ3LAhUnYZoKHQR0DR0QFggcMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rit-mcsl.org%2Ffairchild%2FWhyIsColor%2Ffiles%2FExamplePage.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFbMO4oHH5cxMnwtML0iMH9u8lbdw&bvm=bv.115339255,d.bGs  
> http://www.deeptrancenow.com/colortherapy.htm  
> http://patient.info/health/recommended-safe-limits-of-alcohol
> 
> Sooo... about that memory... I'll be posting it in future chapters, because if I posted it right away, it would ruin the suspense. I hope you guys don't mind! Comment if you have the time. (OuO)/
> 
> NOTE: Bill already knows what he's going to ask for, so be ready for a lot of talking in the next chapter, if all goes according to plan. Honesty is important, and both Dipper and Bill are going to have a hard time.

**Author's Note:**

> So. Um. That just happened. I'm not really sure if it's alright, because this is my first Gravity Falls Cowboy AU, and I'm not really sure if it was too fast paced, or not. Um, please comment if you want to, I'd like to hear your thoughts. =]
> 
> Most of my research came from these link:  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_American_Old_West#1800s


End file.
